Reflective video display apparatus for interactive training and demonstration and methods of using same

ABSTRACT

A smart mirror can show live or recorded streaming video of an instructor performing a workout in a package that is attractive and unobtrusive enough to hang in a living room. The smart mirror includes a mirror surface with a fully reflecting section and a partially reflecting section. A display behind the partially reflecting section shows the video when the smart mirror is on and is almost invisible when the smart mirror is off. The smart mirror also has a speaker, a microphone, and a camera to enable a user to view the video content and interact with the instructor. The smart mirror may connect to the user&#39;s smart phone, a peripheral device (e.g., a Bluetooth speaker) to augment user experience, a biometric sensor to provide biometric data to assess user performance, and/or a network router to connect the smart mirror to a content provider, an instructor, and/or other users.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/062,069, filed Oct. 2, 2020 and titled “Reflective Video Display Apparatus for Interactive Training and Demonstration and Methods of Using Same,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/672,103, filed on Nov. 1, 2019 and titled “Reflective Video Display Apparatus for Interactive Training and Demonstration and Methods of Using Same,” now U.S. Pat. No. 10,828,551, which is a bypass continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2019/034292, filed on May 29, 2019 and titled “A Reflective Video Display Apparatus for Interactive Training and Demonstration and Methods of Using Same,” which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/677,351, filed on May 29, 2018 and titled “System for Displaying Two-Way Interactive Data for Training and Demonstration on a Reflective Video Display and Scheme for Serial Data Transfer Over Bluetooth Low Energy,” the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

Exercise is an important part of maintaining an individual's health and wellbeing. For many people, exercising is an activity that typically involves going to a gymnasium where they partake in a workout guided by an instructor (e.g., a fitness instructor, a personal trainer). However, dedicating a regular period of time to exercise at a gym can be a challenging endeavor due to other commitments in one's daily life (e.g., a person's job, family obligations). Oftentimes, a gym may be located at an inconvenient location and/or an instructor's availability is limited to certain periods of time during the day, thus limiting a person's ability to attend a workout at the gym. This inconvenience may also be detrimental to the instructor whose clientele may be restricted to people who are able to attend their workout at the gym at the prescribed period of time.

SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein are directed to a reflective video display apparatus (also referred to herein as a “smart mirror” and an “interactive exercise system”) configured to display video content, such as a pre-recorded or live workout led by an instructor, to a user and provide an interface that allows the user to interact and personalize the video content. The smart mirror may be a networked device communicatively coupled to a content provider (e.g., a server, a cloud service) and/or a smart device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet, a computer). The smart mirror may include a display panel and a speaker to output video content and audio to the user. The smart mirror may also include a camera and a microphone to capture video and audio of the user during a workout. The smart mirror may thus enable two-way communication between the user and the instructor during a workout. In this manner, the smart mirror may provide a convenient option for the user to receive a guided workout while enabling greater personalization and individual guidance similar to a workout provided by a personal trainer or instructor at a conventional gymnasium.

One example of a smart mirror includes a communications interface to receive video imagery of an exercise instructor, a display, operably coupled to the communications interface, to show the video imagery of the exercise instructor, and a mirror, disposed in front of the display, to reflect an image of a person opposite the display. The mirror has a partially reflecting section to transmit the video imagery of the exercise instructor to the person opposite the display such that the video imagery of the exercise instructor appears superimposed on a portion of the image of the person.

Another example of a smart mirror includes a mirror having a partially reflecting section and a fully reflecting section, a display arranged to display exercise content through the partially reflecting section of the mirror where the exercise content includes (1) video imagery of an exercise instructor, (2) biometric data of a first person exercising while viewing the exercise content, and (3) information about a second person watching the video imagery on another interactive exercise system, and a frame, disposed behind the mirror, to hold the display opposite the partially reflecting section of the mirror where the frame has a width equal to or smaller than a width of the mirror and a height equal to or smaller than a height of the mirror.

One example of an interactive exercise method includes the follow steps: (1) streaming exercise content to an interactive video system comprising a mirror having a partially reflecting section and a display disposed on one side of the partially reflecting section, (2) displaying the exercise content to a user via the display and the partially reflecting section of the mirror, and (3) reflecting an image of the user with the mirror such that the image of the user appears at least partially superimposed on the exercise content displayed via the display and the partially reflecting section of the mirror.

One example of a method of using a smart mirror includes the following steps while displaying exercise content to a user on a video display behind a partially transmissive mirror: (1) reflecting an image of the user with the partially transmissive mirror, (2) measuring a heart rate of the user with a heart rate monitor attached to the user, (3) transmitting the heart rate from the heart rate monitor to an antenna operably coupled to the video display, (4) displaying the heart rate of the user on the video display, and (5) displaying a target heart rate for the user on the video display.

One example of a method of exercising using the smart mirror includes the following steps: (1) displaying an exercise video on the smart mirror to a person, (2) displaying a first target heart rate zone for the person to reach during a first segment of the exercise video where the first target heart rate zone is based on an exercise displayed during the first segment of the exercise video and at least one of the person's age, height, weight, exercise history, or preference, (3) displaying a second target heart rate zone for the person to reach during a second segment of the exercise video where the second target heart rate zone is different from the first target heart rate zone and based on an exercise displayed during the second segment of the exercise video and the at least one of the person's age, gender, height, weight, exercise history, or preference, (4) acquiring heart rate data from the heart rate monitor while displaying the first segment of the exercise video and the second segment of the exercise video on the smart mirror and while transitioning from the first segment of the exercise video to the second segment of the exercise video, (5) determining a score based on a change in the heart rate data associated with a transition from the first segment of the exercise video to the second segment of the exercise video, and (6) displaying an indication of the score on the smart mirror while displaying the exercise video to the person.

All combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. Terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary smart mirror.

FIG. 2A shows an exemplary smart mirror with a stand disposed on the bottom.

FIG. 2B shows another view of a smart mirror with a stand disposed on the bottom.

FIG. 2C shows an exemplary smart mirror mounted to a wall.

FIG. 3A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary smart mirror.

FIG. 3B shows an exploded view of the smart mirror of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C shows an exploded view of an upper electronics assembly in the smart mirror of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3D shows an exploded view of a lower electronics assembly in the smart mirror of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary an inner frame.

FIG. 4B shows a left-side view of the inner frame of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C shows a front-side view of the inner frame of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D shows a front-side, flat representation of the inner frame of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4E shows a front-side, flat representation of the inner frame of FIG. 4A with various labeled holes for assembly.

FIG. 5A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary an outer shell.

FIG. 5B shows a front-side view of the outer shell of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C shows a side-side view of the outer shell of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5D shows a top-side view of the outer shell of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5E shows a bottom-side view of the outer shell of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5F a front-side, flat representation of the outer shell of FIG. 5A with various labeled holes for assembly.

FIG. 6A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary wall mount bracket on the smart mirror.

FIG. 6B shows a front-side, flat representation of the wall mount bracket of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C shows a front-side view of the wall mount bracket of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6D shows a side-side view of the wall mount bracket of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary wall mount bracket on the wall side.

FIG. 7B shows a front-side, flat representation of the wall mount bracket of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C shows a front-side view of the wall mount bracket of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7D shows a side-side view of the wall mount bracket of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary of a safety bracket on the smart mirror side.

FIG. 8B shows a front-side, flat representation of the safety bracket of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C shows a front-side view of the safety bracket of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8D shows a side-side view of the safety bracket of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary of a safety bracket on the wall side.

FIG. 9B shows a front-side, flat representation of the safety bracket of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C shows a front-side view of the safety bracket of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9D shows a side-side view of the safety bracket of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10A shows a front-side view of an exemplary mirror glass.

FIG. 10B shows a front-side view of an exemplary safety film.

FIG. 10C shows a front-side view of the safety film of FIG. 10B aligned to the mirror glass of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10D shows a front, perspective view of the safety film of FIG. 10B.

FIG. 11A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary stand.

FIG. 11B shows another front, perspective view of the stand of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11C shows a front-side view of the stand of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11D shows a side-side view of the stand of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11E shows a perspective view of the top bar of the stand of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11F shows a top-side view of the top bar of FIG. 11E.

FIG. 12A shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary upper display panel bracket.

FIG. 12B shows a front-side, flat representation of the upper display panel bracket of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12C shows a front-side view of the upper display panel bracket of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12D shows a top-side view of the upper display panel bracket of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12E shows a side-side view of the upper display panel bracket of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12F shows a front-side, flat representation of the upper display panel bracket of FIG. 12A with various labeled holes for assembly.

FIG. 13A shows a front-side view of an exemplary antenna mounting bracket.

FIG. 13B shows a front, perspective view of the antenna mounting bracket of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A shows a perspective view of an exemplary camera mount.

FIG. 14B shows a front-side, flat representation of the camera mount of FIG. 14A.

FIG. 14C shows a front-side view of the camera mount of FIG. 14A.

FIG. 14D shows a side-side view of the camera mount of FIG. 14A.

FIG. 14E shows a bottom-side view of the camera mount of FIG. 14A.

FIG. 15A shows a perspective view of an exemplary connector box with a L-bracket.

FIG. 15B shows a rear-side, flat representation of the connector box of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 15C shows a rear-side view of the connector box with a L-bracket of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 16A shows a perspective view of the connector box of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 16B shows a top-side view of the connector box of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 16C shows a bottom-side view of the connector box of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 16D shows a rear-side view of the connector box of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 16E shows a side-side view of the connector box of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 17A shows a perspective view of the L-bracket of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 17B shows a top-side view of the L-bracket of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 17C shows a rear-side, flat representation of the L-bracket of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 17D shows a rear-side view of the L-bracket of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 17E shows a side-side view of the L-bracket of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 18 shows a wiring diagram for various components of an exemplary smart mirror.

FIG. 19 shows an image of an exemplary biometric sensor worn on a user's wrist.

FIG. 20 shows an image of an exemplary biometric sensor worn around a user's ribcage.

FIG. 21 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method of setting up and a smart mirror in conjunction.

FIG. 22 shows a summary of the various wireless connections used to communicatively couple a smart mirror to a smart device.

FIG. 23A shows an exemplary icon displayed on the smart mirror to indicate the smart mirror is disconnected from the smart device.

FIG. 23B shows a pause notification displayed on the smart mirror when the application is closed, minimized, or the smart device enters sleep mode.

FIG. 24A shows a flowchart of an exemplary healing process when loading the application.

FIG. 24B shows a flowchart of an exemplary healing process when a connectivity break occurs during a workout.

FIG. 24C shows a flowchart of an exemplary healing process when a user accesses the application settings.

FIG. 25 shows a flowchart diagram describing how the smart mirror is communicatively coupled to another device via a Bluetooth Low Energy connection.

FIG. 26A shows a flowchart describing an exemplary method of using a smart mirror with a HostAP mode.

FIG. 26B shows a flowchart for the ‘Attempt Connection’ process of FIG. 26A.

FIG. 26C shows a flowchart describing an exemplary method of connecting a device with an iOS operating system to the smart mirror and/or setting up a network connection.

FIG. 27 shows an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) on a smart phone.

FIG. 28A shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device to control connectivity of a smart device to a smart mirror and/or a network connection.

FIG. 28B show an exemplary GUI on the smart device showing notifications whether the smart mirror is connected to the smart device.

FIG. 28C shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device to customize the user interface of the smart mirror and/or the smart device.

FIG. 28D shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device to manage connection of the smart device to various peripheral device such as an audio device or a biometric sensor.

FIG. 28E shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device to select a music source such as the local device or a third party service.

FIG. 28F shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device of music playlists.

FIG. 29A shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device to browse and select a fitness class from a listing of fitness classes.

FIG. 29B shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device of filters used to narrow down a listing of fitness classes.

FIG. 29C shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device of an exemplary selection of a fitness class.

FIG. 30A shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device to control a fitness class played on the smart mirror.

FIG. 30B shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device of a workout log.

FIG. 30C shows an exemplary GUI on the smart device to provide user feedback on an instructor and/or a fitness class.

FIG. 31A shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of a fitness class overview.

FIG. 31B shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of an exemplary user interface during a workout.

FIG. 31C shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of a message displayed to a user based on the user's biometric data.

FIG. 31D shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of a message displayed to a user showing adaptation of the workout based on the user preferences.

FIG. 31E shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of avatars of other user's in the same fitness class.

FIG. 31F shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror with the user's heart rate displayed on a target heart rate zone.

FIG. 31G shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror with a message indicating the user's heart rate meets a target heart rate zone.

FIG. 31H shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror with the user's heart rate falls outside a target heart rate zone.

FIG. 31I shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror with the user's score and a target score.

FIG. 31J shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror with the user's score and a target score at a later period of time in the workout relative to FIG. 31I.

FIG. 31K shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror with the user's score and a target score at a later period of time in the workout relative to FIG. 31J.

FIG. 31L shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of a user's workout log.

FIG. 31M shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of a user's performance after a particular workout.

FIG. 32A shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror notifying the user take an image of themselves.

FIG. 32B shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of the user's image acquired by the camera of the smart mirror.

FIG. 32C shows an exemplary GUI on the smart mirror of multiple user's images.

FIG. 33A shows an exemplary instructor user interface on a web browser with a class schedule and an instructor dashboard of users attending the instructor's class.

FIG. 33B shows an exemplary instructor user interface on a web browser of user information for a specific user in the class.

FIG. 33C shows an exemplary instructor user interface on a web browser of another class schedule.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The development of fitness-related technologies has been motivated, in part, by a desire to provide a more convenient approach for receiving guided workouts that are not restricted by a predetermined, rigid workout schedule and/or even do not involve going to a gym. For example, a pre-recorded, self-guided workout has been available for many years in various formats (e.g., a video cassette tape, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a Blu-ray disc (BD), a video streamed using a streaming service and/or the Internet). The self-guided workout typically involves a video being played on a user's television and/or smart device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet) where the user emulates the instructor's workout. This approach provides greater convenience to the user (e.g., the user can play a self-guided workout at home), but lacks the personalization and/or individual guidance of a live instructor.

In another example, live workouts by an instructor may be streamed to a user using a streaming service connected to a user's smart device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet). However, live streaming a workout in this manner typically provides a poor user experience and a mixed quality of content due to: (1) the user sifting through a substantial amount of poor content, (2) the user being limited to either a location with a television screen to display the stream or to watching the stream on a small display such as on a phone or a laptop, (3) the inability to track the user's progress in the workout, and (4) the lack of personalization. Some conventional exercise equipment may offer an integrated display that shows a live stream of an instructor. However, this equipment still restricts a user's ability to personalize a workout and/or to receive individual guidance from the instructor. Furthermore, the types of exercise available to the user may be restricted to the exercise equipment within which the display is integrated (e.g., an exercise bicycle may only provide workouts related to cycling).

Although boutique fitness studios may provide greater personalized workouts to the user, the boutique studio may still be difficult for users to access for many of the same reasons as conventional gyms (e.g., cost, schedule, location). Furthermore, many boutique fitness studios provide workouts primarily in a group setting, which may be undesirable for many people due to personal preferences and/or physical limitations.

The present disclosure is thus directed to a reflective video display apparatus (also referred to as a “smart mirror” and an “interactive exercise system”) and methods for using the reflective video display apparatus. The smart mirror includes an integrated display configured to show a workout (a prerecorded video or a live stream) and an interface that enable a user to personalize a workout. Furthermore, the smart mirror may allow users and/or instructors to interact with each other during the workout (e.g., providing feedback to the instructor on the pace of the workout, correcting a user's form during a particular exercise routine) in a manner similar to a conventional workout at a gym or boutique fitness studio where the user and the instructor are in the same room.

The smart mirror may be coupled to a wired or wireless network that is, in turn, connected to a remote server, the Internet, and/or other smart mirrors to provide a user access to a selection of various workouts available for download and/or streaming via an online or an app-based component. The user may select a workout based on several factors including, but not limited to the user's exercise preferences, skill level, equipment availability, physical limitations such as injuries, desired movement pattern, and style. Unlike conventional exercise equipment, the smart mirror may not include any additional equipment and, hence, is not constrained to a particular type of exercise. However, the smart mirror may nonetheless be used in combination with other exercise equipment (e.g., a jump rope, exercise bike, treadmill, free weights, weight machines, exercise bars, and so on) depending on the workout.

Once selected, the video exercise may then be shown on the display of the smart mirror. The smart mirror may be sufficiently reflective such that the user sees their own reflection in the smart mirror during the workout, thus providing visual feedback to the user to evaluate their movement and form. Depending on the size and position of the smart mirror, the user's reflection may appear superimposed on an image of a person in the video (e.g., a trainer). This allows the user to better match his or her motion to the trainer's motion (e.g., for proper form or to learn a new exercise).

The video exercise may further be configured to show only the trainer and the workout equipment used during the workout. Additionally, the smart mirror may show text or visual graphics of biometric data without any background shapes, images, or screens (e.g., a black background). In this manner, the smart mirror may better reflect the user and the user's environment unlike conventional devices, which typically suffer from an over-cluttered interface that obscures the user and the environment. Once again, the video exercise may be prerecorded or streamed by a live personal trainer in a private or group/class setting.

The smart mirror may include a camera to record a user during the workout. The recorded video may be streamed to another person (e.g., an instructor, another user) for live feedback or stored locally on the smart mirror or another device (e.g., a server, a user's smart phone, a user's computer). In cases where video of the user is recorded during a live workout, the video captured by the smart mirror and any biometric feedback data may be streamed to the instructor for real-time monitoring. This may enable the instructor to provide personalized direction and adjustment to the user during the workout. For example, in a class-type setting, the trainer may monitor individual feeds of video and biometric data from each user participating in the workout and may select a subset of the feeds to pay close attention to as the workout progresses. In cases where video of the user is stored, the recorded workouts of the user may be replayed on the smart mirror or shared online with other users. The recorded video may thus be replayed as a future workout for the user, compared to subsequent workouts by the user or other users, and/or evaluated to ascertain improvements to the user's workout performance.

The smart mirror may be coupled to a device that provides biometric feedback of the user during the workout. The device may be a wearable or handheld device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a step monitor). The biometric feedback may be delivered to the smart mirror by a wired or a wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth low energy) directly to the device or to the device via the user's smart phone. The biometric data may be displayed on the smart mirror during the workout and may also be stored for future comparison and/or analysis. The smart mirror may show the biometric data in real-time in various formats including, but not limited to the data by itself, the data with a target value set by the user, another user, or the instructor, the data with historical biometric data acquired during previous workouts, or any combination of the foregoing. The smart mirror may include integrated storage (e.g., a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, random access memory) to store the biometric data (and recorded video) permanently or temporarily. The biometric data (and recorded video) may also be uploaded for remote storage (e.g., on a server, or a cloud-based system) via networked connection (e.g., the Internet).

Additionally, the biometric data recorded in previous workouts may be used to help select future workouts for the user. The recorded video of the user may also be processed as part of a biofeedback analysis to detect and analyze the movement of the user. This analysis may be used to evaluate whether the user executed proper movement patterns during each exercise in the workout and to suggest areas for improvement in future workouts with similar exercises.

The smart mirror may be shaped, dimensioned, and oriented to provide a user a reflection of their entire body for various movements and/or poses during the workout. The smart mirror may include a video display panel with a two-way mirror or two-way mirror film on top of the video display panel. In this manner, the smart mirror is (fully) reflective in areas where the video display panel is not showing an image. The smart mirror may be mounted to a wall or configured to stand on a flat surface. The smart mirror may further include communication components to facilitate connection to (1) biometric sensors used by the user, (2) internal communication to a user's smart device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet, or a computer), and/or (3) external communication to a remote server, a cloud, or the Internet.

The smart mirror may be used in a variety of settings including but not limited to a home, hotel room, cruise ship, or other private or public spaces. The smart mirror may also be used in conventional gymnasiums and/or boutique fitness studios for individual or group exercise programs. Here, group exercise programs may include a group of users in a single studio or a group of users in one studio connected to other individual or groups of users in other studios/settings. The smart mirror may also be used in assisted living facilities, hospitals, or physical therapy facilities to assist users with rehabilitation and/or maintenance of their health.

While the smart mirror is described herein in the context of fitness and physical therapy applications (e.g., online exercising, interactive exercise, or interactive training), the smart mirror may be used more generally as a platform to provide users with interactive video content. Video content may include corresponding audio content as well. For example, the smart mirror may be used to provide other video content including but not limited to cooking tutorials, lessons on arts and crafts, home repair, car repair, and online educational courses. In some cases, the smart mirror may also be used as a television and/or smart display for streaming content from a smart device. In this manner, the smart mirror may replace conventional display devices and is designed to integrate more seamlessly with the environment than a flat-screen display.

The concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in numerous ways. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice the implementations and alternatives apparent to those skilled in the art.

The figures and example implementations described below are not meant to limit the scope of the present implementations to a single embodiment. Other implementations are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the disclosed example implementations may be partially or fully implemented using known components, in some instances only those portions of such known components that are useful for an understanding of the present implementations are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the present implementations.

An Exemplary Smart Mirror

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary representation of a smart mirror 100. The smart mirror 100 may include a single board computer (SBC) 110 used to control, in part, the operation of various subcomponents in the smart mirror 100 and to manage the flow of content to/from the smart mirror 100 (e.g., video content, audio from the instructor or user, biometric feedback analysis). The smart mirror 100 may include a display panel 120 to show video content, a graphical user interface (GUI) from which the user may interact and control the smart mirror 100, biometric feedback data, and/or other visual content. A camera 130 may be coupled to the SBC 110 to record a video and/or images of a user (e.g., while the user is exercising during a workout). An antenna 140 may be coupled to the SBC 110 to provide data transmission and/or reception between the smart mirror 100 and another device (e.g., a remote control device, a biometric sensor, a wireless router). The antenna 140 may comprise multiple transmitters and receivers each tailored for a particular frequency and/or wireless standard (e.g., Bluetooth, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11 ac, 2G, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G). An amplifier 150 may be coupled to the SBC 110 to receive audio signals from the SBC 110 for subsequent sound output through a left speaker 152 and/or a right speaker 154. A microphone array 160 may also be used to enable a user to input voice commands and/or voice inputs to the smart mirror 100 (e.g., to start/stop a workout, to talk to the instructor).The microphone array 160 may also be coupled to the SBC 110 and include a digital signal processor (DSP).

A switched-mode power supply (SMPS) 170 may also be coupled to the SBC 110 to supply and manage electrical power to the various components of the smart mirror 100 from an external electrical power supply system (e.g., a wall outlet). A switch 180 may be coupled to the SMPS 170 and/or the microphone array 160 to switch the smart mirror 100 and the microphone array 160 on and off. FIG. 18 shows electrical and low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) connections among these components and an LVDS power connection 1802 and signal connection 1804 for the display panel 120.

The smart mirror 100 may also include additional components not shown in FIG. 1. For example, the smart mirror 100 may include onboard memory and storage (nonvolatile and/or volatile memory) including, but not limited to a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SDD), flash memory, random access memory (RAM), and a secure digital (SD) card. This onboard memory and/or storage may be used to store firmware and/or software for the operation of the smart mirror 100. As described above, the onboard memory and/or storage may also be used to store (temporarily and/or permanently) other data including, but not limited to video content, audio, video of the user, biometric feedback data, and user settings. In another example, the smart mirror 100 may include a frame 200, described in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 3B, to mount and support the various components of the smart mirror 100.

The smart mirror 100 may be deployed in an environment (e.g., a user's home, a fitness studio) in several ways. For example, FIGS. 2A and 2B show the smart mirror 100 mounted to a stand 210 mounted to the bottom of the smart mirror 100. The smart mirror 100 reflects an image 229 of the user (here, taking a picture of the smart mirror 100 with a smart phone) and the surrounding environment. The smart mirror 100 also shows video content through a partially reflecting section 226, which blends nearly seamlessly with a fully reflecting section 228 to reflect the user's image 229 and the surrounding environment. The fully reflecting section 228 has a dark background and the partially reflecting section 226 is over a display panel 120 (FIG. 3B), which is dark when off to provide a nearly seamless reflection under ambient lighting.

The stand 210 is used, in part, to position the smart mirror 100 at some distance above the ground. The stand 210 may be used to support the smart mirror 100 along a vertical orientation (e.g., a plane of the display panel 120 is parallel to an adjoining wall). The stand 210 may also support the smart mirror 100 at a tilted orientation (defined by an angle relative to the wall) as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The stand 210 may include a high friction base (e.g., a rubber foot) to prevent the smart mirror 100 from slipping along the floor when tilted. In some designs, the stand 210 may remain fixed relative to the frame 200 or may allow for articulation of the frame 200 relative to the stand 210 about some motion axis (e.g., a pivot axis). For instance, as the frame 200 is rotated, the stand 210 may remain unchanged in orientation and/or placement with respect to the floor.

The smart mirror 100 may also be mounted to a wall directly, as depicted in FIG. 2C, or hung from a ceiling (not shown). Again, the smart mirror 100 appears completely reflective when the display is off. When the display is on, the display projects video imagery (e.g., of a trainer or exercise instructor) through the partially reflecting section 226 to the user, who may see a reflected image 229 of herself superimposed on the video imagery in the partially reflecting section 226. A fully reflecting section 228 bordering the partially reflecting section 226 also reflect the user's image. And when the display is off, the smart mirror 100 simply appears to be a plain mirror.

The smart mirror 100 may also be supported by a free-standing stand roughly vertically. Said in another way, the free-standing stand may sit on the ground or another horizontal surface and hold the smart mirror 100 so that it faces a user. The free-standing stand may be mounted to the bottom, the side, and/or the rear of the smart mirror 100. The free-standing stand may include one, two, three, or more legs to provide a stable platform for the smart mirror 100 (so the smart mirror 100 is unlikely to tip over). Each leg may have a high friction base (e.g., a rubber foot) to prevent the stand from slipping. In some designs, at least one leg may include a wheel to facilitate transport and/or adjustment of the smart mirror 100. Similar to the stand 210, the free-standing stand may also allow the smart mirror 100 to be tilted about a pivot axis.

FIGS. 3A-3D show several views of an exemplary smart mirror 100 with the stand 210 described above. As shown, the smart mirror 100 may be subdivided into several assemblies corresponding to the components described above. For instance, the smart mirror 100 may include a frame 200 comprising an inner frame 202 and an outer shell 204. The inner frame 202 may be used as a chassis onto which the other components described with reference to FIG. 1 are mounted to. The outer shell 204 may be used, in part, as an exterior housing to protect the inner frame 202 and the various components of the smart mirror 100 contained therein. The smart mirror 100 may include a display panel 120 mounted into the inner frame 202. The smart mirror 100 may include mirror glass 220 disposed over the display panel 120 to provide reflections of the user and the user's environment. The smart mirror 100 may also include various electronics separated into an upper electronics assembly 230 disposed towards the top of the inner frame 202 and a lower electronics assembly 240 disposed towards the bottom of the inner frame 202.

As shown in FIG. 3C, the upper electronics assembly 230 may include the antenna 140, the camera 130, the microphone 160, and the SBC 110. FIG. 3D shows the lower electronics assembly 240 may include the SMPS 170, the switch 180, the amplifier 150, and the speakers 152 and 154. Additionally, the smart mirror 100 may include the stand 210 disposed on the bottom of the inner frame 202.

The smart mirror 100 in FIGS. 3A-3D represents one exemplary size and aspect ratio. The smart mirror 100, however, may generally be larger or smaller in size and/or have various aspect ratios. For example, a larger smart mirror 100 may be used to accommodate a taller user and/or multiple users. A smaller smart mirror 100 may be used to accommodate shorter users and/or to increase portability. Generally, the smart mirror 100 may have a height from about 24 inches to about 96 inches and a width from about 9 inches to about 120 inches. The aspect ratio of the smart mirror 100 may thus vary according to the respective ranges of the height and the width disclosed. FIGS. 4A-4E show several views of an exemplary inner frame 202. The inner frame 202 may be dimensioned and shaped to have an interior cavity within which contains the various components of the smart mirror 100 such as the SBC 110, the display panel 120, the camera 130, the antenna 140, the amplifier 150, the speakers 152 and 154, the microphone array 160, the SMPS 170, and the switch 180. The inner frame 202 may also include several mounting points to mount the aforementioned components to the inner frame 202 using various coupling members including, but not limited to screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, snap fit connectors, and adhesive. The inner frame 202 may also include apertures through which the camera 130 and the microphone 160 may record video and receive sound, respectively, from the user in the environment.

FIGS. 5A-5F show several views of an exemplary outer shell 204. The outer shell 204 may surround, at least in part, the inner frame 202. For example, FIG. 3B shows the outer shell 204 has an interior cavity that may contain therein the inner frame 202. The outer shell 204 may be used primarily to protect the inner frame 202 and the components contained therein. The outer shell 204 may include a plurality of ventilation holes or perforations to facilitate cooling of the various electronic components in the smart mirror 100. The outer shell 204 may also include a plurality of openings to transmit sound from the speakers 152 and 154 to the user. The outer shell 204 may also include an opening through which a port on a connector box is used to receive electrical power.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the smart mirror 100 may also be directly mounted to a wall for deployment. Various wall mounting mechanisms may be used including, but not limited to corresponding hooks on the wall and the smart mirror 100, a mounting bracket fastened to the wall and the smart mirror 100 via screw or bolt fasteners, and adhesive tape.

FIG. 3C shows an exemplary hook mechanism using a mounting bracket 302 a on the smart mirror 100 and a corresponding mounting bracket 302 b to be attached to the wall. FIGS. 7A-7D show additional views of the mounting bracket 302 b. As shown, the mounting brackets 302 a and 302 b may have a width substantially similar to the width of the outer shell 204 to provide greater stability when hanging the smart mirror 100 from the mounting bracket 302 b. As shown, the mounting bracket 302 a may be coupled to the outer shell 204 using the same mounting points to mount an upper display panel bracket 304 a disposed within the inner frame 202. The mounting bracket 302 b may include multiple holes and/or slots to facilitate attachment to the wall. FIGS. 6A-6D show additional views of the mounting bracket 302 a.

FIG. 3C shows a mirror-side safety bracket 306 a and a wall-side safety bracket 306 b. FIGS. 8A-8D show more views of the mirror-side safety bracket 306 a. FIGS. 9A-9D show more views of the wall-side safety bracket 306 b. These safety hooks 306 a and 306 b prevent the smart mirror 100 from tipping over when the smart mirror 100 is mounted to the stand 210. Similar to the wall mounting brackets 302 a and 302 b described above, the safety hook may also comprise a safety bracket 306 a mounted to the outer shell 204 of the smart mirror 100 and a corresponding safety bracket 30 b mounted to the wall. As shown in FIG. 3C, the safety brackets 306 a and 306 b may be positioned near a center line (e.g., a vertical axis) of the smart mirror 100 to increase stability.

FIG. 3C shows both the safety brackets 306 a and 306 b and the wall mounting brackets 302 a and 302 b. This is for showing where these respective components are placed with respect to the other components of the smart mirror 100. In practice, the smart mirror 100 may use just the safety brackets 306 a and 306 b or the wall mounting brackets 302 a and 302 b, but not both together.

The inner frame 202, the outer shell 204, the mounting brackets 302 a and 302 b, and the safety brackets 306 a and 306 b may be formed of various materials including, but not limited to steel, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and plastic. For example, the inner frame 202, outer shell 204, mounting brackets 302 a and 302 b, and safety brackets 306 a and 306 b may be formed by patterning a flat sheet of metal, bending the sheet into the desired three-dimensional shape, and welding adjoining edges to form the finished component. Additional coatings (e.g., powder coatings, paint) may be applied to the inner frame 202, outer shell 204, mounting brackets 302 a and 302 b, and safety brackets 306 a and 306 b to reduce environmental contamination and/or for aesthetics.

The mirror glass 220 may be a two-way mirror or a two-way mirror film disposed on or in front of the display panel 120. The mirror glass 220 may thus be semi-reflective and semi-transparent to visible light. The mirror glass 220 may be substantially reflective when the display panel 120 is not active or in regions of the display panel 120 that show darker colors. The mirror glass 220 may be substantially transparent in regions of the display panel 120 that show brighter colors. Said in another way, the mirror glass 220 may appear reflective to the user when the intensity of light reflected by the mirror glass 220 (e.g., environmental light, natural light, light reflected off objects or the user in the environment) is greater than the intensity of light transmitted through the mirror glass 220 (e.g., light emitted by the display panel 120). Conversely, the mirror glass 220 may appear transparent to the user when the intensity of light reflected by the mirror glass 220 is less than the intensity of light transmitted through the mirror glass 220.

The mirror glass 220 may be coupled to the inner frame 202 using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to a tape, an adhesive, a clamp, a snap fit connector bonded to the mirror glass 220, and a screw fastener or a bolt fastener via a tab or pin bonded to the mirror glass 220. A safety film 222 may be attached directly to the mirror glass 220 to prevent the mirror glass 220 from shattering: if the mirror glass 220 breaks, the pieces of broken glass would remain affixed to the safety film 222. The safety film 222 may be transparent and can be patterned or printed with opaque (black) regions. For instance, the safety film 222 may be transparent over the partially reflecting section 226 of the smart mirror 100 and opaque over the fully reflecting section 228 of the smart mirror 100. Additionally, the safety film 222 may not fully cover the surface of the mirror glass 220. The patterning of the safety film 222 may be tailored to create a seamless appearance between the display panel 120 and the remaining portion of the mirror glass 220 when the smart mirror 100 is viewed from the front.

Double-sided adhesive tape 224 may be used to attach the mirror glass 220 to the inner frame 202 within the frame 200, as shown in FIG. 3B. On one side, the adhesive tape 224 is attached directly to the surface of the inner frame 202. On the other side, the adhesive tape 224 is attached to the safety film 222 or to the exposed mirror glass 220.

The mirror glass 220 may also be removable from the frame 200 after installation to allow replacement of the mirror glass 220 (as opposed to the entire smart mirror 100) in the event the mirror glass 220 is damaged. This may be accomplished by bonding the mirror glass 220 and safety film 222 to a set of pins or tabs that fit into a corresponding set of holes or slots in the frame 200. The number and distribution of pins and/or tabs may be tailored to reduce stress concentrations on the mirror glass 220 when assembled. The pins or tabs may be coupled to the frame 200 using a coupling member including, but not limited to a screw fastener, a bolt fastener, and a snap fit connector. The coupling member is configured to securely mount the mirror glass 220 to the frame 200 but may also allow a user to subsequently disassemble the smart mirror 100 to remove/replace the mirror glass 220.

The mirror glass 220 may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to glass, acrylic, mylar, plexiglass, a thermoplastic, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), or any other materials transparent to visible light. The reflective properties of the mirror glass 220 may be modified by a coating disposed by a partially reflective coating formed of various materials including but not limited to aluminum, silver, and dielectric coatings (e.g., a Bragg mirror). The safety film 222 may be formed from a flexible thin film polymeric material. The double-sided adhesive tape 224 may be various types of adhesive tapes including, but not limited to a very high bonding (VHB) tape, an ultra-high bonding (UHB), and an acrylic foam tape (AFT).

The smart mirror 100 may also be stylistically reconfigurable. For example, the smart mirror 100 may appear float when mounted to a wall. In this configuration, the edges of the mirror glass 220 may be fully exposed. The mirror glass's lateral dimensions may be equal to or larger than the lateral dimensions of the frame 210 located behind the mirror glass 220 as shown in FIGS. 10A-10D. As described above, the frame 200 may contain therein the various components of the smart mirror 100 (e.g., the SBC 110, the display panel 120, the camera 130, the antenna 140, the amplifier 150, the speakers 152 and 154, the microphone array 160, the SMPS 170, and the switch 180). Thus, a user directly facing the front of the smart mirror 100 may be unable to observe the frame 200 located behind the mirror glass 220, giving the impression that the smart mirror 100 is floating in space parallel to the wall.

Conventional floating mirror displays are typically two-piece assemblies where the mirror glass is positioned in front of the display. The mirror glass is typically hung from an elevated position, such as a ceiling or wall, and positioned in front of the display, which may also be hung from the ceiling or wall. This two-piece assembly increases installation complexity and limits the conventional mirror displays to environments where such mounting points are available. Other types of conventional mirror displays may be assembled in a framed configuration where a front side frame and a back side frame are joined together to hold the mirror glass in place. For this configuration, the edges of the mirror glass may be obscured by the front side frame and the front side frame may be observed by a user, thus affecting the aesthetic quality of the floating mirror configuration.

In contrast, the smart mirror 100 described herein may be constructed such that the mirror glass 220 is attached to a frame 200 thus forming a one-piece assembly. In the exemplary smart mirror 100 shown in FIG. 3A, the mirror glass 220 is bonded to a safety film 222. The safety film 222, in turn, is bonded to the inner frame 202 with double-sided adhesive tape 224. In this manner, the mirror glass 220 may be attached to the frame 200 such that the smart mirror 100 appears to float in space when mounted directly to a wall.

The smart mirror 100 may also allow for a decorative frame to be mounted on the front and/or side of the smart mirror 100. The decorative frame may be coupled to the outer shell 204 of the frame 200 located behind the mirror glass 220. The decorative frame may be coupled to the outer shell 204 using one or more coupling members including, but not limited to a screw fastener, a bolt fastener, and a snap fit connector. The decorative frame may also be coupled to the outer shell 204 using one or more magnets, thus increasing the ease of installation and reducing the assembly time. In some designs, the smart mirror 100 may include a decorative frame mounted on the edges of the mirror glass 220. If a user wishes to replace the decorative frame, the user may disassemble the smart mirror 100 using the pins or tabs described above to replace the mirror glass 220.

FIGS. 11A-11F show additional views of the stand 210 may be used to support the smart mirror 100 in a substantially vertical orientation (with or without tilt). The stand 210 is comprised of a U-shaped bracket 214 disposed beneath the inner frame 202 and the outer shell 204. The U-shaped bracket 214is joined to a top bar 216. As shown, the U-shaped bracket 214 and the top bar 216 may be shaped and dimensioned to conform to the outer shell 204, thus providing a continuous surface around the sides of the smart mirror 100. The top bar 216 may include openings for the speakers 152 and 154. The top bar 216 may also include an opening through which the switch 180 may be accessed by the user. The stand 210 may also include a high friction base 212 (e.g., rubber feet) disposed on the bottom of the U-shaped bracket 214 as shown in FIG. 3B. The high friction base 212 may be used to prevent the smart mirror 100 from slipping along the floor, especially when the smart mirror 100 is partially tilted. The U-shaped bracket 214 and the top bar 216 may be formed of various materials including, but not limited to steel, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and plastic.

The height of the mirror glass 220 and/or the display panel 120 of the smart mirror 100 may also be adjustable to accommodate different users with different heights. The smart mirror 100 may be designed to have a particular height range to accommodate a majority of users. If a user falls outside of this height range, the smart mirror 100 may be adjusted accordingly. Height adjustment may be accomplished in several ways. In one example, a slot-rail mechanism may be integrated into the smart mirror 100 using the frame 200 and the stand 210. For instance, the frame 200 may incorporate at least one slot between the outer shell 204 and the inner frame 202 to accommodate a rail on the stand 210. The rail on the stand 210 may thus be slidably adjustable along the slot in the frame 200. A locking mechanism may be included to secure the rail to the slot at a desired position. The locking mechanism may come in various forms including, but not limited to a ratcheting mechanism that allows motion along one direction (e.g., extension of the rail relative to the slot) and a release mechanism to allow motion in the opposite direction, a plurality of holes in the slot (or rail) with a spring-mounted pin in the rail (or slot) for securement, a clamping mechanism (e.g., a locking tab) to hold the rail against the slot via a frictional force.

The electronic components of the smart mirror 100 may be disposed in various locations on the inner frame 202 and the outer shell 204. In the exemplary smart mirror 100 shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, the electronic components are disposed primarily in the upper electronics assembly 230 and the lower electronics assembly 240 to simplify assembly and place respective components in preferred locations on the smart mirror 100 with respect to where a user may be located. Any wiring to electrically couple the electronic components may be routed along the inner frame 202 and/or the interior cavity of the outer shell 204.

The display panel 120 is primarily used to show video content to the user. The display panel 120 may be various types of displays including, but not limited to a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. The display panel 120 may be configured to emit a lower light intensity when displaying darker colors (or may even turn off the respective pixels) in order to enhance the performance of the two-way mirror glass 220. In some instances, the display panel 120 may also be touch sensitive to provide additional interactive control of the smart mirror 100 to the user. The touch sensitivity may be calibrated to account for the mirror glass 220 and any other intermediate components (e.g., the safety film 222) disposed between the display panel 120 and the environment.

As shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, the display panel 120 may be mounted to the inner frame 202 using an upper display panel bracket 304 a and a lower display panel bracket 304 b. FIGS. 12A-12F show additional views of the upper display panel bracket 304 a. The upper display panel bracket 304 a and the lower display panel bracket 304 b may be coupled to the inner frame 202 and the display panel 120 respectively using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, snap fit connectors, or adhesive. The upper display panel bracket 304 a and the lower display panel bracket 304 b may be formed of various materials including, but not limited to steel, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and plastic.

The antenna 140 may comprise multiple antennas that each function as a receiver and/or a transmitter to communicate with various external devices, such as a user's smart device (e.g., a computer, a smart phone, a tablet), a biometric sensor (e.g., a heart rate monitor), and/or a remote server or cloud server to stream or play video content. Once again, the antenna 140 may conform to various wireless standards including, but not limited to Bluetooth, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 2G, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, and 5G standards.

FIGS. 13A and 13B show an antenna mounting bracket 1300 that can be used to hold the antenna 140 in place. The antenna mounting bracket 1300 may be formed of various materials including, but not limited to steel, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and plastic.

The microphone 160 may be used to record a user's voice and/or other ambient sounds. The microphone 160 may include a muffler to reduce unwanted ambient noise (e.g., a fan or street noise) from being acquired by the smart mirror 100. Similar to the camera 130, audio recorded by the microphone 160 may be shared with another person (e.g., an instructor or another user) in real-time or recorded for later playback. In one aspect, the audio may be acquired with the video of the user using timestamps that ensure the audio is synced to the video. The microphone 160 may also be coupled to the amplifier 150 to control the sound output from the speakers 152 and 154. For example, when a user speaks, the microphone 160 may send a signal to the amplifier 150 to reduce the sound output from the speakers 152 and 154 to avoid unwanted audio feedback. The microphone 160 may be used, in part, to enable voice control of the smart mirror 100. For example, a user may activate/deactivate the smart mirror 100 and navigate, start, and stop workouts with their voice.

The left and right speakers 152 and 154 may be used to output sound to the user (e.g., instructions from the instructor, music, sound effects). The speakers 152 and 154 may be low profile and configured to emit sound in one or more desired frequency bands. In some designs, the speakers 152 and 154 may be oriented to emit sound in a direction transverse to the front of the mirror glass 220 (e.g., towards the floor or the ceiling) to reduce the thickness of the smart mirror 100 as shown in FIG. 3B. In some designs, the speakers 152 and 154 may be oriented to emit sound in a direction towards a user located in front of the mirror glass 220. In this configuration, sound may be emitted through openings on the front of the smart mirror 100 (e.g., openings in the mirror glass 220). The mirror glass 220 may also vibrate with the speakers 152 and 154 to produce sound emitted towards the user. The mirror glass 220 may thus be tuned to emit sounds at frequencies that may be otherwise unavailable in a front-facing, low-profile speaker. The sound output may be controlled, in part, by the amplifier 150.

As described above, the camera 130 in the smart mirror 100 may be used to acquire video and/or still images of the user while the user performs an activity (e.g., a workout). The video of the user may then be shared with an instructor to allow the instructor to observe and provide guidance to the user during a workout. The video may also be shared with other users of other smart mirrors for comparisons or competition. The video of the user may also be shown on the display panel 120 in real-time or stored for subsequent playback. For example, the video of the user may be used for self-evaluation during or after a workout by providing a visual comparison of the user to the instructor. Stored video may also allow user to evaluate their progress or improvement when performing similar exercises over time.

The video may also be processed, in real-time during a workout or after a workout is finished, to derive biometric data of the user based on the movement and motion of the user. For example, image analysis techniques may be used to determine various aspects of a user's workout including, but not limited to a user's breathing rate as a function of time, a user's performance in reproducing a proper form or motion of a particular exercise, the number of repetitions performed by the user during a workout, stresses on a user's limbs or joints that may lead to injury, and a user's stamina based on deviations of a particular exercise over time. This biometric data derived from the video may be used in combination with biometric data acquired by a biometric sensor worn by the user to provide a user additional analysis on their workout.

The camera 130 may be one of several cameras mounted in or on the smart mirror 100, where each camera may be configured to image different aspects of a user. The camera 130 may include a standard web camera. In another example, the camera 130 may include a spatial motion sensing camera (e.g., a Microsoft Kinect) capable of tracking a user's motion within a three-dimensional (3D) space. The motion sensing camera may have sufficient spatial resolution to track individual extremities (e.g., arms, legs, hands, feet, fingers, toes). This data may be used to reconstruct a high fidelity 3D model of the user that is animated in accordance to the user's movement as a function of time. The 3D model of the user may thus provide additional information to the user and/or the instructor to assess a user's performance in executing a workout and to guide the user on proper form and technique. For example, the 3D model may be displayed to the user with a comparison to a second 3D model of another person (e.g., the instructor) performing an exercise with a correct form and technique. The motion sensing camera may also be used to identify and track the motion of multiple users.

In yet another example, the camera 130 may include a thermal camera (e.g., a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera) to generate temperature maps of the user's skin. These temperature maps may be used to track spatial and temporal changes to a user's skin temperature during a workout (e.g., resting, exercising, recovering after a workout), which may provide additional biometric data such as a user's hydration levels.

FIGS. 14A-14E show several views of an exemplary camera mount 1400 that can be used to mount the camera 130 to the inner frame 202. The camera mount 1400 may be a mechanical component designed to orient the camera 130 such that the field of view of the camera 130 captures the user under most use cases. For example, FIG. 3C shows the camera mount 1400 has bent shape to tilt the camera 130 downwards. The camera mount 1400 may be formed of various materials including, but not limited to steel, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and plastic.

The smart mirror 100 may be configured to receive electrical inputs from an alternating current (AC) source or a direct current (DC) source. The SMPS 170 may be compatible with both AC and DC input sources. The SMPS 170 may be used, in part, to convert the electrical input into a desired form for subsequent dissemination to other components of the smart mirror 100. For example, the SMPS 170 may be used to convert AC to DC or DC to AC. The SMPS 170 may also be used to adjust the voltage and/or current of the input to desired values (e.g., increase the voltage from 120 V to 240 V, decrease the voltage from 240 V to 120 V).

The SMPS 170 may be configured to receive electrical inputs via a power cord coupled to the smart mirror 100 or a wireless power transfer system (e.g., the smart mirror 100 has a receiver that receives wireless power from a transmitter mounted to a wall via an inductive or capacitive coupling mechanism). In one example, a standard International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) cable may be used to connect the SMPS 170 directly to a standard wall outlet (e.g., a 120-240V/60 Hz outlet). In some designs, the SMPS 170 may be partially or wholly disposed outside the frame 200 of the smart mirror 100 (e.g., an AC adapter for a laptop) to reduce the overall size of the smart mirror 100.

The smart mirror 100 may also include a battery (not shown) to provide greater portability. Thus, the deployment of the smart mirror 100 may be less constrained by the location of a power source (e.g., a wall outlet) within a particular room. The battery may be various types of rechargeable or disposable batteries including, but not limited to a lithium-ion battery, a nickel cadmium battery, and a nickel metal hydride battery. A rechargeable battery may be charged by connecting the smart mirror 100 to a power source (e.g., connecting an IEC cable to a wall outlet). The smart mirror 100 may also be configured to operate while charging.

The smart mirror 100 may also be turned on or off using a switch 180 disposed on the smart mirror 100. The smart mirror 100 may also be activated or deactivated remotely using another remote control device, such as a computer, a smart phone, or a tablet connected to the smart mirror 100.

FIGS. 15A-17E show several views of an exemplary connector box that may also be incorporated into the smart mirror 100. The connector box may be used to house wiring and wiring ports to connect the smart mirror 100 to an external power source (e.g., via an IEC cable). The connector box may also house wiring between the SMPS 170 and other electronic components in the smart mirror 100. The connector box may be formed of various materials including, but not limited to steel, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and plastic.

The smart mirror 100 may also include additional connectors to connect the smart mirror 100 to other devices, such as a smart phone or a tablet. For example, FIG. 3C shows the smart mirror 100 may include a USB connector 310 disposed towards the top of the smart mirror 100. In some applications, this connector may be used to provide a wired connection for software updates, firmware updates, and diagnostic tests of the smart mirror 100. The connector may also be used to transfer power from the smart mirror 100 to another device (e.g., charging a smart phone).

Biometric Devices and the Smart Mirror

A biometric sensor worn by the user may also be communicatively coupled to the smart mirror 100 to provide biometric data of the user during a workout. As described below, the smart mirror 100 may display raw and/or processed biometric data to the user via the display panel 120. This biometric data may be used for subsequent analysis to evaluate the user's overall health and for recommending subsequent workouts to the user. The biometric data may also be used to compare a user's activity level or performance to that of other users. Various types of biometric data may be measured by one or more biometric sensors including, but not limited to a user's heart rate, a user's step count, the motion of the user's various extremities, the user's skin temperature, and the user's perspiration rate. (A user may operate the smart mirror 100 without wearing any biometric sensor, in which case biometric data normally acquired and displayed to the user may be replaced by a blank or a dashed mark on the display panel 120 indicating that no biometric data is being acquired.)

The biometric sensor may be worn by the user in various ways. For example, FIG. 19 shows the user wearing a biometric sensor 1900 on her wrist. FIG. 20 shows another example of the user wearing a biometric sensor 2000 around her waist. A user may wear multiple biometric sensors, which, in some instances, may be tailored to measure certain biometric data at certain locations on the user's body. Either biometric sensor may be coupled to the smart mirror 100 wirelessly using various communication protocols including, but not limited to Bluetooth, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac, either directly or via a smart phone or wireless router.

Using a Smart Mirror

The smart mirror 100 may be coupled to various devices and controlled, in part, using these devices. For example, the smart mirror 100 may be connected to a smartphone, a smartwatch, a tablet, a dedicated remote for the smart mirror 100, a smart exercise equipment (e.g., a treadmill, an exercise bike, a smart dumbbell), or a personal computer. These devices may be networked and/or a web-enabled and thus used to access various fitness-based features in a software application configured to work with the smart mirror 100 (e.g., an app for a Google Android, an Apple iOS, or Microsoft Windows device).

The smart mirror 100 may also be used without connection to any device. For example, a user may control the smart mirror 100 using voice control via the microphone 160. The smart mirror 100 may also be controlled using gesture commands in cases where the camera 130 includes a motion sensing camera or by applying image analysis techniques to video of the user acquired by the camera 130. The smart mirror 100 may also be controlled using touch commands in cases where the display panel 120 is touch sensitive.

FIG. 21 shows an exemplary method 2100 of using the smart mirror 100 generally comprising a setup process 2101 followed by a use process 2102. The setup process 2101 may be comprised of the following steps: (2104) turning on the mirror, (2108) downloading the app on a user's smart device, (2112) syncing the smart device to the smart mirror 100 via an access point, (2116) syncing the smart mirror 100 to a network, and (2120) creating an account and filling out an onboarding survey. The use process 2102 may be comprised of the following steps: (2124) selecting and entering a workout, (2128) displaying the workout on the smart mirror 100, (2132) collecting the workout progress and biometric data from a biometric sensor, (2136) displaying post workout statistics after the workout ends, (2140) posting a workout survey, and (2144) adding the workout data to a user's fitness progress. Following the use process 2102, the smart mirror 100 may include the step of (2148) querying the user to select and enter another workout, which if selected, leads to a repeat of steps (2128) through (2148). The following description elaborates upon the various steps shown in FIG. 21.

Connectivity Between the Smart Mirror and Other Devices

As described above, the smart mirror 100 may be connected to various devices during operation. To maintain operation, the connection between any pair of devices (including the smart mirror 100) should be monitored. The connection between a specific pair of devices may be represented as a “connection state.” Thus, multiple connection states may be monitored during use of the smart mirror 100.

FIG. 22 shows a partial summary of connectivity options and states between a smart mirror and one or more other devices. These connections include but are not limited to between: (1) a user's smart device (e.g., the client) and the smart mirror 100 (e.g., the server), which may be monitored using a WebSocket protocol and may have values of ‘connected’ and ‘closed’; (2) a user's smart device and a Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) device, which may have values of ‘connected’ and ‘disconnected’; (3) a Bluetooth audio device (e.g., the client) and the smart mirror 100 (e.g., the server), which may have values of ‘paired-connected’, ‘paired-disconnected’, and ‘unpaired’; (4) a user's smart device and an application programming interface (API) server, which may be in communication via a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) where the connection is configured to be on demand with a request/response structure such that data is sent as a request and the server responds with data; (5) the smart mirror 100 and an API server, which may be in communication via HTTP where the connection is configured to be on demand with a request/response structure such that data is sent as a request and the server responds with data; (6) the smart mirror 100 and a streaming service, which may be in communication via a HTTP live streaming (HLS) protocol and may have values of ‘connected/streaming’, ‘buffering’, and ‘disconnected’, and (7) the smart mirror 100 and a publish/subscribe service, which may be in communication via Websocket and may have values of ‘connected’ and ‘disconnected.’

In the event that one device (e.g., the smart mirror 100, a smart device, a biometric sensor, a server, a network router) is disconnected from another device, a healing process is used to re-establish and maintain connection between the devices (also referred to herein as “device healing”). The healing process should preferably be transparent to the user such that when a connectivity problem arises, the workout is not interrupted.

Generally, a user may connect a smart device (e.g., a smart phone or tablet) to the smart mirror 100 and a biometric sensor (e.g., a heart rate monitor (HRM) via Bluetooth) when installing and/or configuring the smart mirror 100. The user may also connect other devices, such as a Bluetooth audio device (e.g., a speaker or a microphone). The smart mirror 100, biometric sensor, and other accessory devices may be treated as three distinct categories of devices from the perspective of the user's smart device. The smart mirror 100 may automatically determine the points in time and the appropriate length of time for the user's smart device to attempt to connect with the previously paired smart mirror 100 and the Bluetooth devices. This process should preferably be performed without using excessive amounts of the smart device's battery.

Before a healing process is attempted, the user should pair their smart device to at least one device in a particular category via a “settings” interface on the application installed on the user's smart device. Thus, a healing process should only be attempted when (1) no devices in a particular category are connected and (2) at least one device was previously paired device is present, but disconnected. The display panel 120 of the smart mirror 100 may show an icon when the smart device is disconnected from the smart mirror 100. An exemplary icon is shown in FIG. 23A, which may be displayed at the top right of the smart mirror 100. When the app is closed, minimized, or the smart device enters a sleep mode, the workout may be paused as shown in FIG. 23B.

FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 24C show exemplary healing processes for situations where the user is loading the application on their smart device, a connectivity break occurs during a workout, and a user accesses the application settings, respectively. As shown in FIG. 24A, the healing process 2400 a may be configured such that the user's smart device attempts to connect to the smart mirror 100 and any previously paired Bluetooth devices (e.g., a biometric sensor or an audio device). This healing process 2400 a may be aborted after a scan time of about 30 seconds followed by a message to the user indicating failure to connect to a device. If the smart mirror 100 and/or other devices are discovered, the user's smart device should automatically connect to these devices. In the event more than one Bluetooth device is found, the healing process 2400 a may connect to the most recently found device and/or may allow the user to select between multiple connected devices. The healing process 2400 a may be repeated under other conditions, such as when the user is opening a preview of a workout (e.g., Workout Preview) in the application on their smart device. Again, the healing process 2400 a may run for about 30 seconds before the connection attempt is aborted.

FIG. 24B shows a healing process 2400 b for situations where any one of the devices described above is disconnected from the user's smart device during a workout. For instance, when the user opens “Workout Options,” which include several settings for configuring the workout, the healing process 2400 b may be performed if a previously paired device other than the smart mirror 100 is no longer connected to the user's smart device. Again, this process may run for about 30 seconds before the connection attempt is aborted. If a user's smart device disconnects from the smart mirror 100 and/or the biometric sensor during a workout, the workout should preferably continue on the smart mirror 100 unless the user is requested to pause the workout. Once the connection state between the user's smart device and the smart mirror 100 and/or the biometric sensor is healed, the timers and workouts on the user's smart device should sync to the smart mirror 100. In this manner, the smart mirror 100 should dictate where the workout user interface and/or the user's smart device should jump to once healing occurs. After the workout is finished, the user's profile should be updated with any relevant workout data regardless of whether a connectivity issue occurred. If a user's smart device disconnects from another device, such as a Bluetooth audio device, the smart mirror 100 should output audio in the interim until the audio device is healed. Again, this process may run for about 30 seconds before the connection attempt is aborted.

FIG. 24C shows a healing process 2400 c configured for situations where the user opens the “Settings” interface on the smart device. The healing process 2400 c may occur when a previously connected Bluetooth device or the smart mirror 100 is no longer connected. Again, this process may run for about 30 seconds before the connection attempt is aborted.

Data Transfer using Bluetooth

The smart mirror 100, the user's smart device, and/or other Bluetooth connected devices may transfer data in a serial manner (e.g., from a client to a server, from a server to a client) using various wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth Low Energy. Depending on the wireless technology used, a scheme may be devised for various aspects of data transfer including, but not limited to an initial connection setup, chunking of messages for transfer, message reassembly, and connection teardown. In the case where Bluetooth Low Energy is used, the scheme may be used with or without Bluetooth Low Energy security features.

FIG. 25 shows an exemplary process 2500 to connect and transfer data over Bluetooth Low Energy. Bluetooth Low Energy was included to enable for low energy transfer of finite amounts of data. Many data profiles are ubiquitously supported by major implementations, but these data profiles typically do not support the transfer of stream data. Generally, stream data is sent over a SPP (Serial Port Profile) connection, but in some situations these connections may be unsupported by the device manufacturer and/or may only be allowed by the device manufacturer under specific use cases due to excess consumption of power, which limits the use of such connections for practical use. Instead, the smart mirror 100 may use Bluetooth Low Energy using Generic Attributes (GATT) characteristics as the client-server communication protocol. The server may accept connections from multiple devices simultaneously. The communication of messages larger than what the hardware can support may still be sent using a data-chunking process built into the protocol, allowing a theoretically unlimited message size.

The initial connection setup may start with the server (e.g., the smart mirror 100) advertising as a Bluetooth Low Energy peripheral. The server may advertise a GATT service with a single GATT write characteristic. Clients scanning for peripherals (e.g., a user's smart device) may locate and connect to the available GATT service if the client is within range of the server (2502). For Bluetooth Low Energy in particular, a client connected to the server may be identified by its media access control (MAC) address either (1) ephemerally without bonding where the MAC address is intentionally modified for security purposes or (2) concretely with bonding where a returning client resolves to the same unique MAC address. The client may be responsible for ensuring that the first data written into the characteristic after connection is a 128-bit unique user identification (UUID) in common readable form, base-10 representation separated into sections by dashes with 8, 4, 4, 4, and 12 digits respectively (2504). Upon a successful write of the UUID, the server may advertise another GATT service with the written UUID as its identifier and a single GATT read characteristic set up to allow notifications. The client may rescan the server's GATT services and complete the connection by subscribing to notifications on the read characteristic (2506).

Once a connection is established between the client and the server, data may be sent in both directions (i.e., from the client to the server, from the server to client) using a simple chunking scheme (2508). The data exchange may include protocol agnostic raw data thus allowing an application developer to set up their own messaging over the available connection. To accomplish chunking, each full message is split into parts that fit within the Bluetooth Low Energy Minimum Transfer Unit (MTU) size, which is determined by the Bluetooth Low Energy connection setup and the platform being used.

The chunking process works as follows: (1) the length of the message to be sent is computed in units of bytes, (2) a preamble of a fixed byte length that denotes the size of the total message is prepended to the original message, (3) the message with the preamble prepended is split into chunks such that they fit within the MTU, (4a) in the case of client to server messaging, the chunks may be written sequentially into the servers write characteristic, with confirmation as per the Bluetooth Low Energy specification, (4b) in the case of server to client messaging, the chunks may be written sequentially into the servers read characteristic for the intended recipient, triggering a notification on the client as per the Bluetooth Low Energy specification, (5) the recipient (i.e., the server or the client) may read the preamble from the first chunk to determine the length of the following message, (6) the recipient may fill a buffer with data from successive chunks until the expected number of bytes is received, and (7) the message may then be parsed/decoded as needed followed by the recipient continuing to listen for the next preamble.

Connectivity using a HostAP Mode

In some configurations, the smart mirror 100 may be configured to use a HostAP mode (also referred to in the art as the “Chromecast mode” due to use in the Google Chromecast device), which is a method of setting up an Internet of things (IoT) device where the IoT device acts as an access point for other devices using the same interface as a standard wireless router. The HostAP mode may provide several benefits: (1) uses well known and field tested/proven methodologies, (2) allows application code to support one path for messaging, (3) prevents the use of other interfaces (i.e., there is no need to use Bluetooth or near-field communication (NFC)), and (4) allows the application layer to use multicast Domain Name Systems (mDNS) to discover devices on the network instead of other approaches such as Bluetooth scanning, which is typically slow and error prone.

Depending on the operating system of the smart device, a user may manually change the device's settings to connect to the IoT network. For example, a user using a smart device with an iOS operating system, such as an iPhone or an iPad, should go to the settings of their device to connect to the IoT devices network for initial setup and/or error recovery when the network goes out.

The smart mirror 100 may also be configured to operate the HostAP/mDNS mode. FIGS. 26A-26C show exemplary flow charts of the smart mirror 100 integrating the HostAP/mDNS functionality. Specifically, FIG. 26A shows a process 2600 a describing the various states of operation for the smart mirror 100 and the applicable actions for each state. State (I) represents the smart mirror 100 broadcasting its HostAP network. State (II) represents the ‘Attempt Connection Flow’ process 2600 b, which is depicted in FIG. 26B. If the smart mirror 100 loses connection to the local network over Ethernet or Wi-Fi, the network issue and/or setup prompt screen should be displayed on the display panel 120 of the smart mirror 100. State (III) represents the smart mirror 100 being connected to the network (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) with no internet access, which is shown to the user in the form of a message. In this case, the message may be a full screen blocker on the smart mirror 100. Additionally, if an unknown client device (e.g., a new user id since the smart mirror 100 was installed and configured) connects to the smart mirror 100, the unknown client device should be pin-paired to the smart mirror 100 first.

FIG. 26C shows a process 2600 c for a smart device running the iOS operating system to connect to the smart mirror 100 and/or to setup a network connection. The various states of operation and the applicable actions for each state are shown. In particular, state (IV) represents recoverable error state. As shown, the error states are unlikely to occur while the smart device is connected to the smart mirror's HostAP, but a user interface/contingency process may be included in the event such a failure does occur.

Live Streaming Content

As described above, the smart mirror 100 is configured to show video content on the display panel 120 from a studio (e.g., a fitness studio, a classroom). The video content may be streamed as live content or as on-demand content. For example, live content may be recorded and stored on a central repository such that users may later request and play the video content, hence becoming on-demand content. For example, after the video content is recorded, the video files may be uploaded to Amazon's S3 storage and transcoded into moving pictures experts' group dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH) files. This enables rebroadcast of high-quality, adaptive streaming video to the smart mirror 100. The smart mirror 100 may also be configured to receive and/or have access to multiple live streams that are broadcast simultaneously from multiple studios and/or sound stages. A user may thus have access to multiple live streams and through the user interface, may browse and/or select the desired live stream. In some configurations, the smart mirror 100 may use the Google Android operating system and may thus have access to the Android Exoplayer library to connect the smart mirror 100 to HTTP live stream (HLS) streams for a user to view a live workout. The live-streaming content may also be set to be publicly viewable and/or accessible or private (limited to select individuals).

In some applications, the smart mirror 100 may be connected to an online streaming service that provides users with third-party video content streamed from a server (e.g., directly through a network router or indirectly through a user's smart device). Third party content may be provided to users on a subscription basis. The third party may provide content to a centralized distribution platform, which communicates with the smart mirror 100 over a network. One benefit of a centralized distribution platform is that the distribution of content to the smart mirror 100 is simpler. Alternatively, the third party may develop a separate distribution platform, which may use separate software applications on the smart device for users to access content.

The smart mirror 100 may be configured to provide video content in accordance to industry-accepted standards, particularly when handling variations in network bandwidth. For video streaming, the smart mirror 100 may adhere to the HLS authoring specification, which specifies conditions for changing the video stream quality in real-time to adapt to a user's network bandwidth. For on-demand video content and encore workouts, the smart mirror 100 may adhere to the MPEG-DASH specification, which also provides conditions for changing video quality in real-time to adapt to a user's bandwidth. For non-video related functionalities, the smart mirror 100 may be configured to operate in accordance to industry-standard mobile development methods, including, but not limited to HTTP request retry logic and user interface (UI)/user experience (UX) prompts to the user that handle various network connectivity and latency issues.

Data Storage and Privacy

The smart mirror 100 may also store user information locally on the smart mirror 100 and/or a remote storage device (e.g., a cloud service) depending on the amount of storage space used. For example, user information that uses little storage space may be stored locally on the smart mirror 100, including but not limited to the user's name, age, height, weight, and gender. Additionally, video content (e.g., a fitness routine) may also be stored the smart mirror 100 to reduce the impact of network latency, which may affect the video streaming quality. This amount of video content stored may be limited by the storage capacity of the smart mirror 100. In some configurations, the video content may only be stored temporarily on a daily or weekly basis or depending on the percentage of the smart mirror's capacity being used. User information that uses a substantial amount of storage space may be stored on a remote storage device including, but not limited to biometric data, such as the user's heart rate and breathing rate and video recordings of the user captured during a workout. The smart mirror 100 may retrieve this information for subsequent analysis and display.

The transfer of data between the smart mirror 100 and a remote storage device may be secured (e.g., encrypted) in various ways to prevent unwanted loss or theft of user information. For example, the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol includes built-in security features that may be used by devices leveraging this protocol. However, these security features may only be used when a Bluetooth bonding step is completed before establishing a connection with encryption. In some cases, various security mechanisms may not be implemented or may malfunction, at which point application level security may be implemented in combination with the chunking specification of data described above. For example, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption of the message may be applied before prepending the preamble of a message. In some respects, the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol performs a similar process via built-in security features at a firmware level and may provide similar protection against a person from reading the communications between a client and a server.

When a client disconnects from a server, the GATT service added for the client to read/notify messages may be removed from the service record on the server's device. This ensures that no connections are left open and the system does not accidentally leak information to nefarious snoopers. This termination of the connection may be triggered by either the server or the client and relies on the Bluetooth Low Energy stack to provide a notification to both sides that the connection has closed. If Bluetooth bonding was used in the initial connection setup to provide firmware level encryption security, the bond information may be stored on each device such that bonding does not need to be repeated following subsequent connections between the client and the server.

A User Interface for the Smart Mirror

A user may control the smart mirror 100 using a smart phone or tablet or by interfacing directly with the smart mirror 100 (e.g., a voice command, a gesture command, a touch command). A graphical user interface (GUI) may be provided to facilitate user interaction with the smart mirror 100. The GUI may be adapted to conform to different user inputs dependent on the manner in which a user interfaces with the smart mirror 100. For example, a GUI on a user's smart phone may allow the user to change settings of the smart mirror 100, select/browse various fitness classes, and/or change settings during a workout.

FIG. 27 shows an exemplary GUI displayed on a user's smartphone. The GUI may support touch commands and may be designed to accommodate the size of the display on the user's smart phone. In another example, a GUI on a user's computer may provide a more conventional user interface that relies upon inputs from a keyboard and/or a mouse. In yet another example, a GUI on the smart mirror 100 may provide voice or gesture prompts to facilitate user-provided voice commands and gesture commands, respectively. The GUI for the smart mirror 100 may be adapted to support multiple types of user inputs (e.g., a controller, a remote, a voice command, a user command).

The following description provides several exemplary GUI-related features to facilitate user interaction with the smart mirror 100. These GUI-related features are categorized according to the following categories: settings, browsing and selecting a class, class interface, social networking, and background processes. These categories are used merely for illustrative purposes and that certain features may be applied under several situations that may fall under multiple categories and/or use cases. One or more of these features may be adapted and/or modified to accommodate certain user input types. The GUI may extend to multiple devices including, but not limited to the smart mirror 100, a smart phone, a tablet, a computer, and a remote control.

Smart Mirror Settings

The GUI may allow the user to modify and choose various settings related to the operation of the smart mirror 100. For example, the GUI may be used to initially setup a connection between a user's smart device and the smart mirror 100 (or the smart mirror 100 and a network). FIG. 28A shows an exemplary GUI screen used to sync a user's smart phone to the smart mirror 100 and to connect the smart phone and/or smart mirror 100 to a network. As shown in FIG. 28A, the GUI may indicate the status of the connection of the smart phone and the smart mirror 100 under a settings screen. FIG. 28B shows the GUI may also show the connection status of the smart mirror 100 and brightness of the smart mirror display 120 while using the GUI to navigate and browse for content. Additionally, the GUI may provide prompts to instruct the user the steps to connect the user's smart device to the smart mirror 100. Generally, the GUI may enable the user to manage the connectivity between the smart mirror 100, the user's smart device, a network router, and any peripheral devices (e.g., a biometric sensor or a Bluetooth audio device).

The GUI may also enable the user to create a user account when first using the smart mirror 100. The user account may be used, in part, to manage and store user information including, but not limited to the user's name, age, gender, weight, height, fitness goals, injury history, location, workout history, social network blog, contact list, group memberships, ratings/reviews of fitness classes, and leaderboard scores. The user account may also be used to store user preferences and account settings. In this manner, the user's information may be stored remotely (e.g., on a server or a cloud service), reducing the risk of accidental data loss due to failure of the user's smart device or the smart mirror 100. The GUI may be configured to have the user log into their account before using the smart mirror 100. The user information may be stored without creation of a user account. For example, the user information may be stored locally on the user's smart device or the smart mirror 100. Depending on the user's settings, the user information may be shared with other users and/or instructors without the use of a user account.

The GUI may further include several settings to customize the smart mirror 100 based on the user's preferences. For example, the brightness, contrast, and color temperature (e.g., a warmer hue, a cooler hue) of the display panel 120 of the smart mirror 100 may be manually changed in the GUI. In some cases, these display parameters may be adjusted automatically depending on ambient lighting conditions and/or user preferences. For example, the smart mirror 100 may include an ambient light sensor that monitors ambient lighting conditions, which may be used to adjust the display parameters according to a particular criteria. For instance, the smart mirror 100 may adjust the display's brightness, contrast, color balance, and/or hue, e.g., for increasing visibility of the video content in bright ambient light or decreasing blue/green light to reduce eye fatigue and/or disruptions to sleep quality during evening hours.

The GUI may enable the user to change the user interface (UI) layout. For example, the GUI may enable the user to toggle the display of various items during a workout including, but not limited to various biometric data (e.g., heart rate, step count, etc.), an exercise timer, a feedback survey for a fitness class or each exercise, and a calorie bar (indicating number of calories burned). Some of these options are shown in the exemplary GUI of FIG. 28C. Additionally, the GUI may enable the user to change the color or theme of the UI including a different background image, font style, and font size. The layout of the GUI during a workout may also be modified. For example, the size of the video content (e.g., the size of the instructor shown on the display panel 120) may be changed based on user preferences. In some cases, the size of the instructor may also be dynamically varied, in part, to accommodate exercises captured at different viewing angles and/or different levels of magnification.

The GUI may also include options for the user to change their privacy settings. For example, the user may select the type of information and/or content that is shared with other users. The privacy settings may allow users to set the level of privacy (e.g., the public, the group, the subgroup, designated contacts, or the user themselves may have access) for different information and/or content. The privacy settings may also include what type of information may be stored remotely (e.g., on a server, a cloud service) or locally on the user's smart device or the smart mirror 100.

The GUI may also allow the user to adjust various audio settings on the smart mirror 100 (and/or a speaker peripheral connected to the smart mirror 100/the user's smart device). The audio settings may include, but is not limited to the volume of music, the volume of an instructor's voice, the volume of another user's voice, and the volume of sound effects. Additionally, the GUI may allow the user to select language options (e.g., text and audio) and to display subtitles or captions during a workout. The GUI may also allow the user to configure a prerecorded voice, which may be used to provide narration, instruction, or prompts. The gender, tone, and style of the prerecorded voice may be adjusted by the user via the GUI.

FIGS. 28D-28F show how the GUI can be used to select and play music with the smart mirror 100, such as while exercising during a fitness class or while the display is off. FIGS. 28D and 28E show the GUI used to connect to and select a music source. The smart mirror 100 may also support music downloaded locally (e.g., onto onboard storage in the smart mirror 100) and/or streamed from external sources and third party services, such as Spotify. The music may also be stored on a remote device (e.g., a smart phone) and transferred to the smart mirror or speaker via a wireless or wired connection. The music may be selected independently from the activity and may be played by the smart mirror 100 or a speaker connected to the smart mirror 100 (e.g., Bluetooth speaker). Additionally, the music may be arranged and organized as playlists. The playlist may be defined by the user, another user, or an instructor. FIG. 28F shows the GUI may support multiple playlists for the user to select during a given session with the smart mirror 100.

Browsing and Selecting Smart Mirror Classes (Video Content)

The GUI may also enable the user to navigate and browse various content available to be downloaded and/or streamed to the smart mirror 100. The GUI may generally provide a list of available fitness classes (including individual exercises) a user can select. Various types of content may be included, such as live streams, recorded video content, and/or customized fitness classes. The content may be arranged such that pertinent information for each class is displayed to the user including, but not limited to the class name, instructor name, duration, skill level, date and time (especially if a live stream), user ratings, and a picture of the instructor and/or a representative image of the workout. Once a particular fitness class is selected, additional information on the class may be displayed to the user including, but not limited to the class timeline, the class schedule (e.g., types of exercises), names of other users registered for the class, biometric data of users who previously completed the class, a leaderboard, and user reviews. In some cases, a preview video of the class may be shown to the user either within the list of fitness classes and/or once a particular fitness class is selected.

If the content selected by the user is on-demand, the content may be immediately played on the smart mirror 100 or saved for later consumption. If the content is instead a live stream, an integrated calendar in the GUI may create an entry indicating the date and time the live fitness class occurs. The calendar may also be configured to include entries for on-demand content should the user wish to play the content at a later date. The GUI may show the calendar to provide a summary of reserved fitness classes booked by the user. The calendar may also be used to determine whether a schedule conflict would occur if the user selects a class due to an overlap with another class. The GUI may also be linked to a user's third party calendar (e.g., a Microsoft Outlook calendar, a Google calendar, etc.) to provide integration and ease of scheduling particularly with other appointments in the user's calendar.

The GUI may initially list the fitness classes together as a single list. The GUI may provide several categories for the user to select in order to narrow the listing of classes. The GUI may also include one or more filters to help a user narrow down a selected listing of fitness classes to better match the user's preferences. The filter may be based on various attributes of the user and/or the fitness class including, but not limited to the exercise type, duration, skill level, instructor name, number of registered users, number of openings available, an average user score based on registered users and previous users who completed the class, injury, location, age, weight, demographic, height, gender, user rating, popularity, date and time, and scheduling availability.

The GUI may also be configured to provide a listing of the fitness classes the user previously attended. This listing may be further subdivided between fully completed fitness classes and partially completed fitness classes in case the user wishes to repeat or finish a fitness class. The GUI may also provide a listing of the fitness classes that the user has designated as favorites. Generally, a fitness class may be favorited before, during, or after the class by selecting an interactive element configured to designate the content as the user's favorite. The GUI may also provide a listing of featured fitness classes to the user. A fitness class may be featured under various conditions including, but not limited to being selected by a moderator or editor, the popularity (e.g., the number of hits for a certain period of time), and the user rating.

Fitness classes may also be recommended to the user. A listing of recommended fitness classes may be generated using a combination of the user's profile and their social network. For example, recommendations may be based on various attributes including, but not limited to the user's age, weight, height, gender, workout history, ratings, favorited classes, group membership, contact lists, skill level, workout performance, recommendations from other users and/or instructors, and other users that are being followed via the social network component. The recommendations may be updated and further refined based on feedback provided by the user. For example, an initial listing of recommended fitness classes may be shown to the user. The user may then select a subset of the classes that match the user's interest (or don't match the user's interest). Based on the selection, an updated listing of recommended fitness classes may be presented to the user that more closely match the selected classes.

FIGS. 29A-29C show an exemplary GUI for the user to browse and select a fitness class. FIG. 29A shows a representative listing of fitness classes on the user's smart phone. As shown, the class listing may include the time, instructor name, exercise type, and duration. FIG. 29B shows an exemplary GUI for selecting one or more filters. As shown, the filters may include workout skill level, duration, instructor, and exercise type. Once a particular class is selected, the GUI may present additional information for the class as depicted in FIG. 29C. For example, a brief description of the fitness class may be provided. Additionally, biometric data of the user and/or other previous users attending the class may be displayed to the user to provide an indication of the workout intensity. The GUI may also include interactive elements to start and/or resume the fitness class (e.g., in the event the user previously started the class, but did not finish).

The GUI may also provide the ability to generate customized fitness classes designed to better match user preferences. A customized fitness class may be constructed from individual exercises extracted from multiple fitness classes. The type of exercises included may depend on various user information including, but not limited to the user's fitness goals, age, weight, skill level, biometric data, past performance, and the types of exercise chosen by the user (e.g., cardio, strength, stretching exercises). Each exercise may also be modified according to various aspects including, but not limited to the duration, the number of repetitions, and the exercise conditions (e.g., resistance, weight, incline angle). Additionally, the order of the exercises may be arranged based on the desired pace of the workout. For example, a higher intensity workout may place more difficult exercises together within the workout. A lower intensity workout may include more rest breaks distributed throughout the workout. The total duration of the customized workout may also depend on user preferences including, but not limited to a user-defined duration, the number of calories the user wishes to burn, and biometric data to determine a preferred duration for the user to meet their fitness goal while reducing the risk of injury (e.g., due to overexertion, dehydration, muscle strain).

Class Interface

Once the user selects the fitness class and the class begins, the GUI may be configured to display various information and/or controls to the user. As described above, the smart mirror 100 is used primarily to show video content via the display panel 120 and audio outputs via the speakers 152 and 154. In some cases, the display panel 120 may also be configured to show GUI-related features that are more informational rather than a control input. The portion of the GUI with control inputs may instead be shown on the user's smart device. Therefore, the GUI, as described herein, may be split between the smart mirror 100 and another device. Of course, the smart mirror 100 may be configured to be used without the aid of another device as described above. In such cases, the information and control inputs provided by the GUI may be displayed entirely on the display panel 120.

FIGS. 30A-30C show an exemplary GUI on the user's smart phone used, in part, to control the fitness class and to provide user input. FIG. 30A shows the GUI on the user's smart phone may give the user the ability to play, pause, rewind, fast forward, or skip certain portions of the workout. The GUI may also include controls for the user to adjust the volume of the output sound (e.g., from the smart mirror 100 or a Bluetooth speaker) and to rate the exercise and/or fitness class. The GUI on the user's smart phone may also display the current exercise, the skill level, the instructor name, and the duration of the routine. FIG. 30B shows an exemplary GUI of a workout log of the user. This workout log may be accessed before, during, or after the workout. As shown, the workout log may contain various information including the total calories burned, the total number of workouts, the total duration the user was exercising, the user's progress in meeting a fitness goal (e.g., a weekly goal), and the number of workouts completed relative to the number of workouts to meet the weekly goal. FIG. 30C shows an exemplary GUI of a survey for the user to provide feedback on the instructor and/or the fitness class.

As described above, the smart mirror 100 may also show various GUI-related features during the workout. For example, FIG. 31A shows an overview of the fitness class prior to the start of the workout including video of the instructor, instructor name, skill level, duration, name of the class, brief summary of the class, and timeline. The timeline may be used to indicate the pace and/or intensity level of class. For instance, the timeline in FIG. 31A indicates four periods (each represented by two parallel bars) corresponding to a higher intensity workout. In some cases, the timeline may be displayed throughout the workout on the smart mirror 100 and/or the user's smart device. The timeline may also be interactive (on either the smart mirror 100 via a touch command or the user's smart device) to allow the user to select and jump to different sections of the class.

Once the class begins, various GUI-related features may be shown to indicate the status and progress of the user's workout in conjunction with the video content. FIG. 31B shows one exemplary GUI on the smart mirror 100 during a workout. As shown, the GUI may include a timer indicating the amount of time passed and a progress bar (e.g., represented as a circle around the timer) to show the user's progress for a particular exercise. Depending on the exercise, a counter may instead be shown to represent the number of repetitions for the exercise. The GUI also shows the name of the exercise and the number of users actively participating in the same fitness class. The GUI may also show the next exercise in the workout. If the user is wearing a biometric sensor, such as a heart rate (HR) monitor, the GUI on the smart mirror 100 may also display real-time biometric data, such as the user's heart rate. Additional information derived from the biometric data may also be displayed, such as the number calories burned based on the user's heart rate. In some cases, the video content may be augmented by additional notes from the instructor. For example, FIG. 31B shows the instructor performing the exercise and a miniaturized representation of the instructor performing the same exercise using an alternative form and/or movement. The alternative form may present a more challenging version of the exercise to the user.

In some cases, the smart mirror 100 may actively monitor the user's biometric data to provide additional guidance to the user. For example, FIG. 31C shows the smart mirror 100 may display a message indicating the user's heart rate has dropped below a desired threshold. Thus, the smart mirror 100 may indicate to the user to increase their intensity in order to increase their heart rate. In another example. FIG. 31D shows the smart mirror 100 may inform the user the exercise is modified to accommodate a user's injury and/or to reduce the risk of injury. In other cases, the GUI may provide a message containing other information derived from the biometric data including, but not limited to the user's heart rate relative to a target heart rate zone, the number of steps relative to a target number of steps, the user's perspiration rate, the user's breathing rate, and the extent to which the user is able to properly emulate the form and movement of a particular exercise (e.g., qualified using feedback such as ‘poor’, ‘good’, ‘great’).

The smart mirror 100 may also show avatars corresponding to at least a portion of the other users attending the same fitness class. The avatar may be an image of each user, an icon, or a graphic. For example, the smart mirror 100 may acquire an image of the user to display as an avatar during the initial creation of the user's account. The image may be modified or replaced thereafter. FIGS. 31E-31K show several exemplary representations of other users' avatars, names, and locations. Additional information from other users may also be shown including, but not limited to the other users' scores during the workout, skill level(s), and biometric data (e.g., heart rate, heart rate relative to a target heart rate zone, step count).

Other information displayed on the smart mirror 100 may include the user's heart rate relative to a target heart rate zone. FIGS. 31F-31K show a horizontal heart rate range bar 3100 representing a heart rate range. The user's heart rate is shown on the bar in combination with a target heart rate zone 3102 on the heart rate range bar 3100. This information may visually indicate whether the user is exerting the appropriate level of intensity during the workout. This heart rate information may also be used to compute a score for the user to indicate their performance during the workout. For example, FIGS. 311-31K show a score bar 3110 indicating the real-time score 3114 of the user relative to a target score 3112, such as a predetermined score, another user's score, the user's previous score when performing the same exercise and/or workout. The user's score 3114 may change as the exercise or workout progresses based on the number of points awarded for satisfying certain criteria, as discussed below. In some cases, a leaderboard may be displayed during or after the workout. The leaderboard may rank the users based on their respective scores.

Once the workout is complete, the GUI may display a summary of the workout and the weekly exercise log described above. For example, FIG. 31L shows the workout log on the smart mirror 100 as previously described with reference to the GUI shown on the user's smart phone in FIG. 30B. FIG. 31M shows a summary of the workout. As shown, the GUI may provide the user's score, the duration the user's heart rate was within the target heart rate zone, the user's average heart rate, the number of calories burned, and a chart showing the change in the user's heart rate during the workout. The GUI in FIG. 31M may also show the days of the week the user met their daily exercise goals.

In some cases, the user may receive achievements during or after the workout. These achievements may be awarded when the user satisfies certain criteria, as described below. The achievements may also be shared with other users in the fitness class immediately after receipt or after the workout is complete. Similarly, the user may see another user's achievements during or after the workout. The display of achievements may be toggled on or off in the settings depending on user preferences.

As described above, the smart mirror 100 may display a miniaturized representation of the instructor. In some cases, the miniaturized representation of the instructor may be overlaid with a corresponding representation of the user captured using the camera 130. Each representation may be semi-transparent to enable the user to compare their form and movement to the instructor. In some cases, the representation of the instructor or the representation of the user may be displayed as a stick model to provide greater visual clarity when comparing the two representations with respect to one another. In some applications, the GUI may enable the user to download representations of other users and/or instructors for guidance when performing a particular exercise. Furthermore, the smart mirror 100 and the GUI may enable the user to display multiple representations for comparison. For example, representations of each user in a fitness class may be displayed on the smart mirror 100.

The various GUI-related features shown on the smart mirror 100 may be toggled on or off via the settings GUI described above. The layout, color, and size of these GUI-features may also be customizable. For example, the user may wish to show as little information as possible (e.g., only the timer, exercise type, and the progress bar) such that the video content and the user's reflection appear less cluttered and/or less obstructed during the workout.

The smart mirror 100 may also be configured to dynamically adjust and adapt content in real-time during a workout. Such adjustments may depend on a combination of user preferences and instructor recommendations. For example, the user may specify preferences on various types of fitness routines (e.g., cardio workouts, strength training, stretching, upper body workouts, core workouts, lower body workouts, current injuries, and past injuries). Based on these preferences, the instructor may recommend a particular set of fitness routines and past user ratings of these fitness routines.

The recommended fitness routines may be then be streamed to the user and updated in real-time based on user feedback (e.g., preferences on intensity level of exercise, preferences on exercising certain areas of the body). Biometric data (e.g., heart rate, breathing rate) may also be monitored to adjust the intensity of the fitness routines. For example, the instructor (or the user) may specify a target range for the user's heart rate during the workout. If the user's heart rate is out of the target range, the smart mirror 100 may first warn the user and then adjust the content to either bring the user's heart rate into the target range or modify the target range if the fitness routine is no longer preferred. Dynamic adaptation of content may be achieved by analyzing user feedback or biometrics data using a processor with a decision tree, neural network, or another machine learning method.

Sharing Social Media Using a Smart Mirror

The smart mirror 100 may also have a social networking component that allows the user to connect to another person (e.g., another user, an instructor) and a group/community of people. The user may connect to another person using a search feature integrated into the GUI. The search feature may enable the user to search for another person based on various attributes including, but not limited to their legal name, username, age, demographic, location, fitness interests, fitness goals, skill level, weight, height, gender, current injuries, injury history, and type of workout music. In one example, once the user selects another person with which they want to connect to, a request may be send to the other person for subsequent confirmation/approval. If the other person approves, the user may be connected to the other person and may see the person on a list of contacts. In some cases, the user may configure their account to automatically accept requests from other users. This may be an option selected under the settings portion of the GUI.

The GUI may also provide other methods for the user to connect to another person. For example, the user may connect to other users based on their attendance of a particular fitness class. For example, the user may register for a fitness class. Before the class begins, the user may be able to view other users attending the same class. The GUI may enable the user to select another user and send a connection request. A connection request may also be sent during or after the fitness class. The GUI may also recommend people to connect with based on the attributes described above (e.g., the attributes may be combined to form a representation of the user) as well as other attributes including but not limited to a similar workout history, similar workout performance or progression, similar scores on a leaderboard, geographic proximity (e.g., based on a user's defined location, an Internet Protocol (IP) address), and/or shared connections with other users (e.g., 1^(st) degree, 2^(nd) degree, 3^(rd) degree connections). The GUI may also enable the user to browse through a leaderboard and select another user shown on the leaderboard. Once the other user is selected, a connection request may again be sent.

The GUI may provide a list of contacts to the user, which may be grouped and/or organized according to the user's preferences. For example, the list of contacts may be arranged based on the user's immediate family, friends, coworkers, list of instructors, people sharing similar interests, demographic, and so on. The list of contacts may also include a filter that enables the user to select and display one or more groups.

Additionally, the GUI may enable the user to join another group and/or community of users. For example, a user may create a group for users interested in cycling. Another group may be created for users interested in other interests such as boxing, running, weightlifting, and/or yoga. The group may be set to be a public group where any user may see the group via the GUI and may send a connection request to join the group. The group may also be set to be a private group that may not be available via the GUI and only allows users to join by an invitation. The group may be created by a user or an instructor. Other users may join the group upon approval by the creator or another user with appropriate administrative rights. In some cases, the group may be configured to accept all connection request automatically.

The group may be used, in part, to provide users a forum to communicate and share information with one another. For example, a user may provide recommendations for various fitness classes to other users. In another example, an instructor may send a message on a new or upcoming fitness class they are teaching. In another example, a user may send a message indicating they are about to begin a fitness class. The message may provide an interactive element that enables other users to join the fitness class directly, thus skipping the various navigational screens previously described to select a fitness class. Additionally, a user may post a message containing audio and/or video acquired by the smart mirror 100 to share with other users in the group. For example, a user may post a video showing their progress in losing weight. In another example, the user may show video of the instructor and/or other users participating in the fitness class. A user in the group may also generate a group-specific leaderboard to track and rank various members of the group.

In some cases, the GUI may also enable at least a portion of the users within a group to join a particular fitness class together. For example, the users within a group may form a subgroup where a designated leader of the subgroup may then select a fitness class, using similar processes described above, thus causing the other members of the subgroup to automatically join the same fitness class. The GUI may also provide live audio and/or video chat between users within the same group and/or subgroup. For example, when a subgroup of users joins a fitness class together, the GUI may allow the users of the subgroup to communicate with one another during the workout. This may include audio and video (e.g., a frame showing the other user's head, face, or body) streams from other users overlaid onto the exercise displayed on the display panel 120. It should be appreciated the subgroup may also be formed based on the user's selection of one or more contacts on their list of contacts (as opposed to being restricted to users within a group).

The GUI may also enable the user to create a social network blog to include various user-generated content and content automatically generated by the smart mirror 100. User-generated content may include, but is not limited to ratings or reviews of various fitness classes, audio messages generated by the user, video messages generated by the user, interactive elements linking to one or more fitness classes. Automatically generated content may include, but is not limited to updates to the user's score on a leaderboard, achievements by the user (e.g., completing a fitness goal), and attendance to a fitness class. The content shown on the user's social network blog may be designated as being public (e.g., any user may view the content) or private (e.g., only select group of users designated by the user may view the content).

The GUI may also enable the user to “follow” another user. In this description, “follow” is defined as the user being able to view another user's information that is publicly accessible including, but not limited to the other user's social network blog, workout history, and score(s) on various leaderboards. The option of following another user may be presented as another option when the user is assessing whether they want to connect to other user. Therefore, the GUI may enable the user to follow another user using similar methods described above in the context of connecting to other users.

As described above, the smart mirror 100 may be used to share various user information with other users including, but not limited to the user's profile, social network blog, achievements, biometrics, activity selection, a video recording, and feedback. For example, user A may share their progress on a fitness routine to user B, who can then provide feedback (e.g., an emoji, an audio message, a video message, etc.) to user A. In another example, the GUI on the smart mirror 100 or on the user's smart phone may prompt the user to take a selfie image, either with the smart mirror's camera 130 or the smart phone, following the completion of a workout as shown in FIG. 32A. The camera 130 and the display panel 120 may then be configured to show a live video of the user to create a desired pose. An image of the user may then be acquired (e.g., after a preset period of time or based on an input command by the user) as shown in FIG. 32B. The image of the user may then be shared with other users (e.g., in the same fitness class, in the user's list of contacts, in the user's group) as shown in FIG. 32C. The user may also view other user's images.

In another example, the camera 130 may record a video of user A during a workout, which may then be shared with user B. As user B performs the same workout, the video of user A may be overlaid onto the display panel 120 with a live video of user B. The respective video recording of user A and the live video of user B may be semi-transparent such that user B may compare their form and/or movement to user A during the workout. In some cases, the smart mirror 100 may enable the user to download video recordings of other users and/or instructors to display onto their respective smart mirror 100 whilst performing the workout. In this manner, the smart mirror 100 may support a “ghost mode” that allows users to compare their performance during a workout to other people. For example, the user may download a video recording of multiple experts performing the same workout. The user may then display the video recording of each expert (individually or in combination) to evaluate the user's progression in the workout.

The smart mirror 100 may also support achievements. Achievements are defined as rewards given to the user upon satisfying certain criteria for the achievement. The rewards may include, but is not limited to a badge (e.g., a visual graphic the user can share with others), a number of points contributing to a user's leaderboard position, and access or a discount to premium content. Achievements may be given for various reasons including, but not limited to exercising several days in a row, meeting an exercise goal, completing certain types of workouts and/or exercises, completing a certain number of workouts and/or exercises, and advancing to more difficult skill levels. A summary of the achievements may be shown on the GUI to the user.

Information may be shared between users in several ways. In one example, smart mirrors may share data directly with one another via local, direct connections when the smart mirrors are connected to the same network (e.g., multiple smart mirrors at a gym, hotel, or home). In another example, information may be shared via the application installed on each user's smart device through a remote network connection (e.g., a wireless network, wireless internet, a telecommunication network). Information may also be stored remotely on a server, which may then be distributed between users (e.g., with or without authorization of the user depending on the settings of the smart mirror 100 and/or the user's account).

Leaderboards, Heart Rate, and Transitions Between Target Heart Rate Zones

As described above, the GUI may also include one or more leaderboards to rank users according to a user's score. For example, a leaderboard may be generated for each fitness class to rank the participant's performance during and after the class. In another example, one or more global leaderboards may be used to rank many, if not all, users based on the type of exercise or a combination of different exercises.

The leaderboard may be used, in part, to provide a competitive environment when using the smart mirror 100. Users may use their scores to evaluate their progress at a workout by comparing their current scores to their own previous scores recorded by the smart mirror 100. Additionally, one user may compete against one or more other users (e.g., globally, within the same group, within the same subgroup) to attain higher scores in a live setting (e.g., users within the same fitness class) or with respect to previous scores recorded by the other user(s). The user may configure the leaderboard to show other users exhibiting similar attributes including, but not limited to demographic, gender, age, height, weight, injury, location, skill level, and fitness goal. These attributes may be dependent on the user (e.g., the leaderboard includes users similar to the user) or may be entirely independent (e.g., the leaderboard includes users dependent solely on the criteria specified by the user).

The user's score on a leaderboard may be calculated in various ways. In one example, the user's score may be determined based on how quickly the user's hear rate (HR) moves between different target hear rate zones. A target hear rate zone may be defined as some percentage range of a user's peak heart rate. Various heart rate zones may thus be defined including, but not limited to a rest zone, a fitness zone, an aerobic zone, an anaerobic zone, a fat burn zone, and a cardio zone. There may be a different target heart rate zone for each section of an exercise video (e.g., a warm-up heart rate zone to start, alternating rest and anaerobic heart rate zones during intervals, and a warm-down heart rate zone to end). Depending on the definition of these zones, some zones may overlap in the range of the percentage of the user's peak heart rate.

A HR accuracy percentage may be used to determine the number of points given to the user during a workout. The HR accuracy percentage represents how quickly the user's hear rate (HR) moves between the different target hear rate zones. A higher score may correspond to the HR changing instantaneously. However, this situation may be unrealistic and/or may result in an exceedingly challenging condition imposed on the user resulting in biased scores. In some cases, the score may instead be computed by comparing the user's heart rate to a HR curve representing the transitions between different HR zones. The HR curve may include a smoothing effect between each HR zone transition to provide a more realistically attainable HR accuracy percentage. The smoothing effect may depend on various metrics including, but not limited to the user's historical HR data, the HR data of a community of user's, the user preferences, the user demographic, the exercise and/or workout structure.

In one use case, a single smart mirror 100 may support multiple users performing a workout. During the workout the scores for each user may be displayed on the display panel 120. In this manner, the users may compare their scores against one another during the workout, which may provide an incentive for the users to achieve a greater workout performance compared to the case where each easer exercises on their own separately.

In another example, the user's score may be computed based on other factors of a user's workout performance (which may depend on the type of biometric data collected) including, but not limited to the user's step count, number of repetitions for each exercise, distance traveled (e.g., if running or walking), calories burned, the period of time the user's HR is in a particular HR zone, the user's form and/or movement when performing a particular exercise routine. In some cases, the user's score may be modified based on conditions that render a particular exercise more difficult or easier including, but not limited to the weight being lifted, the incline angle of a treadmill, the resistance setting of an exercise bike, the use of supporting blocks during yoga. These modifications may be in the form of a multiplier applied to the user's score to rewards and penalize the user based on the relative difficulty of the conditions of the exercise.

The user's score may be a combination of one or more of the factors described above. In some cases, the user's score may further include weights applied to particular exercises to intentionally bias the user's score. For example, more points may be awarded to the user for cardio-related exercises compared to strength-related exercises to correspond to the user's fitness goal of increasing stamina. The user's score may also be computed where strength-related exercises are given more points than cardio-related exercises to provide the user a score representative of their fitness goal of increasing their strength. Multiple scores may thus be generated based on the user's biometric data and workout history to convey to the user a quantitative metric representing their progress for various fitness attributes.

Smart Mirror Background Processes

In addition to the GUI providing user's the ability to access and control the operation of the smart mirror 100 and/or the content shown on the display panel 120 of the smart mirror 100, various background processes may also provide user's additional information when not actively using the smart mirror 100. A background process may be a process that performs certain functions that, depending on the output of the function, results in the generation and transmission of a message to the user with a representation of the output. The background process may be substantially automated. This allows, for instance, a user to run other applications on their smart device while the background process is running. These background processes may run locally on a user's smart device (e.g., a smart phone) or remotely on a device (e.g., a server) with communication access to the smart mirror 100 and/or the user's smart device. A background process may be controlled, in part, via an application installed on the user's smart device, the smart mirror 100, and/or a remote device.

The background process may be configured to send various types of messages (also treated as notifications) to the user including, but not limited to a text message, an email, a voicemail, or a post on a user's social network account. The frequency of the messages may vary depending on the content of the message. For example, a message containing a reminder for the user to exercise may be sent every other hour of each day. In another example, a message from another user or an instructor may be sent to the user immediately after submission or may be stored and aggregated with other messages to be sent as a digest (e.g., an email digest containing multiple messages). In yet another example, recommendations for fitness classes may be sent to a user on a weekly or monthly basis. Generally, the message may be sent to the user at various frequencies (e.g., ranging between immediately after the message is generated to months or even years) depending, in part, on user preferences. The background process may also be configured to reduce power consumption, thus prolonging a device that operates using a battery (e.g., a user's smartphone or tablet).

In some cases, the message sent by a background process may include an interactive element (e.g., a web link, a button) for a user to provide input. For example, a message containing a recommendation for a class may include one or more options a user can select (e.g., ‘register for class’, ‘not interested’). If the user selects the option to register for the class, a web page or an application may open to a screen that allows the user to review the class and finalize registration. In another example, a message containing a status update of another user (e.g., a user's friend) may provide options for the user to send an emoji to indicate their response. For instance, if the user's friend successfully meets one of their fitness goals, the user may send a smiley face or a thumbs up. In yet another example, a message may indicate a user's friend is attending a particular fitness class and may include an option to enable the user to join the fitness class without navigating through other screens of the GUI.

Generally, various content may be included in a message generated by a background process. For example, a background process may monitor the duration of time since a user previously used the smart mirror 100. After exceeding a predefined threshold (e.g., an hour, a day, a week), a message may be generated to remind the user to exercise. The message may also contain a user's progress towards meeting one or more fitness goals. The smart mirror 100 may also send status updates to the user including, but not limited to when a new software update is available for installation, connectivity issues between a user's smart device and the smart mirror 100 or the smart mirror 100 and a network, an unauthorized login into a user's account, and when another user is using the smart mirror 100 (e.g., a family member).

A background process may also relay messages from an instructor (or another user) sent directly to the user or posted on the user's social network blog. The message may include, but is not limited to updates on the status of a fitness class (e.g., cancellation, change of schedule), feedback from an instructor following a particular fitness class, feedback from a personal trainer providing guidance to the user on a regular basis, recommendations for a fitness class, messages posted to a community forum, a digest of messages from other users, and/or requests for connection on a user's social network. A background process may also monitor updates of other user's (e.g., a friend, a person followed by the user) and send messages in an automated manner when certain updates occur. The message may contain various content including, but not limited to the other user completing one or more fitness goals, the other user registering and/or participating in a new fitness class, the other user liking or providing a high rating to a particular fitness class, a change in the other user's position on a leaderboard, updated pictures of the other user (e.g., after completing a fitness class), and birthday wishes.

Generating Content for a Smart Mirror

The smart mirror 100 is configured to provide a flexible platform that allows video content generated by instructors (or other users) to be readily disseminated to a user. The various networking capabilities of the smart mirror 100 described above may enable video content to be live streamed directly to a user's smart mirror 100 or stored on a centralized distribution platform (e.g., a remote server, a cloud service) for subsequent consumption by the user. In some cases, the video content may be distributed through use of a software application connected to the smart mirror 100 (e.g., a first party app from the manufacturer of the smart mirror 100 or a third party app from a streaming service compatible with the smart mirror 100).

Video content may be generated in various settings, such as a fitness studio or a user's home. In one example, an instructor may generate video content of a fitness class using a studio. The studio may use a standard, one-camera setup or a more sophisticated setup (e.g., multiple cameras to acquire video at multiple viewing angles) to acquire video of a fitness class. A producer may be used to monitor and/or control the audio-visual equipment used to stream the class. The fitness class may be defined as a single continuous shot from beginning to end of the instructor performing the workout.

The studio may be setup to stream one class at a time. The video/audio of the class is captured and transcoded via a hardware encoder (e.g., Epiphan Pearl). The class may be live streamed by uploading the video content to a low-latency cloud server (e.g., a Wowza cloud server) where the content is transcoded and broadcast to an HLS stream (private or public). The content may also be recorded at a high resolution for subsequent re-use or playback (e.g., as on-demand content).

The studio may include a room with a trainer wall where video is recorded. The room may have dimensions of approximately 18 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 12.3 feet high. The camera recording the video may be positioned approximately 15 feet from the trainer wall. The camera may be configured to have a field of view of the trainer area with dimensions approximately 8 feet wide, 9 feet deep, and 9 feet high, corresponding to a recorded area. Other studio arrangements with different room dimensions and camera placement may be used depending on the desired viewing and field of view of the instructor.

The recorded area may be configured to be a ‘black box’, where the walls of the recorded area are covered in a dark colored material (e.g., a matte black paint) and the floor is covered with a high grip, dark colored material (e.g., a black rubber floor with little texture). The recorded area may be illuminated by side lighting devices disposed at various heights and assembled to form a small semi-circle on either side of the instructor. Overhead lighting may result in reflections and the scattering of light off the floor. In order to maintain a ‘black void’ configuration, the presence of overhead lighting should be reduced. The lighting systems may also be configured to emit light with various colors and lighting effects (e.g., highlights, wash effects).

In other settings, the recorded area may be configured to have surfaces with various colors, patterns, and/or surface finishes including, but not limited to one or more green screens for picture in picture videos, an all-white backdrop, a black Plexiglas floor, and a grey concrete floor. The studio may also be configured to have one or more cameras to record video at various angles. For example, two cameras with a B-roll for a master video or a picture in picture configuration may be used. Two cameras that record video at various angle changes may also be used.

The camera may be configured to record video at various resolutions for live streaming and/or recording (e.g., 1080 p, 1080 i, 2K, ultra-high definition (UHD), 4K, 8K). The video recorded by the camera may be in various formats including, but not limited to H.264 and MPEG formats. The video may be recorded at various framerates (e.g., 24 frames per second). For example, a single fixed camera (Sony FSSK) may be mounted on its side to record video with a portrait view. A look up table (LUT) may be applied to the video feed before being passed to the encoder in order to reduce the amount of color correction processing during post processing of the recorded video. Other various settings on the camera may be adjusted including, but not limited to International Standards Organization (ISO) settings (e.g., ISO 3200), and white balance (WB) settings (e.g., WB 6300K).

For sound recording, one or more microphones may be used. For example, the studio may include two highly directional Audix Miniature shotgun mics mounted on a 50″ gooseneck boom supported by a simple floor-standing, microphone stand. In this manner, environmental noise, such as traffic and external room noise, may be reduced without having to attach a microphone directly to the instructor. A plurality of microphones may be used to facilitate sound recording when the instructor changes position. For example, one microphone may be configured for instructors in a standing position and another microphone may be configured for instructors in a crouching/prone position. An automixer may be coupled to the microphones to ensure the sound recorded by multiple microphones is properly balanced. Hands-free microphones, such as a lavalier microphone, may also be used for sound recording and to reduce environmental noise during recording. Audio may be recorded at various qualities (e.g., AAC 48 kHz stereo 320 kpbs).

The quality of the live stream and the recorded video may be substantially similar or intentionally different. For example, the studio may be configured to stream video at a 1080 by 1920 pixel resolution, 24 frames per second, and 23 megabits per second for the highest bandwidth configuration. Adaptive streaming may also be applied when streaming video to adapt to variabilities in a user's network bandwidth. The smart mirror 100 may adjust video quality by detecting the user's bandwidth in real-time.

The fitness class may be recorded in various configurations. For example, the fitness class may include only the instructor or the instructor with one or more students to depending on which configuration provides improved user immersion and/or a better approach to teaching an exercise technique. This may depend, in part, on user preferences as well. The video content may be recorded at variable framerates (e.g., a high frame rate per second recording may facilitate slow motion playback). The video content may also be recorded with up to a 360 degree format to allow users to change views of the fitness class during a workout. This effect may also be achieved through use of multiple cameras as well. Furthermore, video content recorded in the studio may be annotated with exercise specific notes and/or lines drawn on the instructor to provide greater clarity to the form and movement of a particular exercise. In some cases, a talking head may also be included to provide users with narration during the class.

Instructor Interface for Smart Mirror Classes

An instructor user interface may also be provided to assist the instructor in managing the fitness class in real-time. The instructor user interface may be shown on the display of various devices including, but not limited to a computer, a smart phone, a tablet, a smart watch, and a television. Furthermore, the instructor user interface may be accessed using a dedicated software application installed locally on the instructor's device and/or via a web application using a web browser. In some cases, the instructor may also use the smart mirror 100 to record video content using the camera 130 and the microphone 160 and/or to manage the fitness class using the smart mirror 100 directly or a smart device coupled to the smart mirror 100.

The instructor user interface may include various information on the fitness class and the users attending the class including, but not limited to a class itinerary, a class timeline, user information of each user, user scores, a leaderboard of users, and user feedback on each exercise and/or the overall class. The instructor may use the instructor user interface to select and modify a class plan or timeline before or during the fitness class. The timeline of the class may be adjusted dynamically in real-time based on the instructor's progress in executing the class plan. For example, the instructor may decide to shorten or remove a particular exercise in favor of prolonging another exercise. In another example, user feedback during the class may indicate to the instructor the users are getting tired more quickly than anticipated, thus the instructor may change the class plan in favor of less physically intense routines.

The instructor user interface may devote one section of the instructor's device display to show the class plan and the class timeline. Another section of the instructor user interface may show an instructor dashboard with user information of each user. The user information may include, but is not limited to each user's biometric data, user feedback (e.g., emoji's, ratings for each exercise), age, weight, gender, height, injury history, previous fitness classes attended, desired goals for the workout (e.g., losing weight, building muscle). The instructor dashboard may also include a summary of the user's attending the class, which may be updated in real-time. The summary may also include a representative score of each user as the fitness class progresses. In this manner, the instructor may determine users who are exceeding or falling behind the pace of the exercise.

The instructor dashboard may also enable the instructor to provide individual messages and/or feedback to each user in various formats including, but not limited to emojis (e.g., a thumbs up, a thumbs down), audio directed specifically to a particular user or group of users, and video directed specifically to a particular user or group of users. The instructor may also be able to provide instructions or displays showing how to perform modified versions of exercises for users who are injured or who have other physicals limitations. For instance, the instructor may display a main exercise and a modified exercise (e.g., “Squat Jumps” and “Squats” as in FIG. 31H) for those who choose not to perform the main exercise. These versions can be displayed to all users or to only affected users.

As described above, the instructor user interface may be shown on the display panel 120 of the smart mirror 100. The camera 130 and the microphone 160 of the smart mirror 100 may be used to enable the instructor to provide the aforementioned feedback to a user or group of users. Additionally, the speakers 152 and 154 may be used to receive audio feedback from a user or group of users during the fitness class. For example, the instructor may ask how the users are feeling after each exercise and the users may respond by verbally telling the instructor the pace is too fast, too slow, or satisfactory.

FIGS. 33A-33C show an exemplary instructor user interface accessed through a web browser via an instructor's device, such as a computer. FIG. 33A shows the instructor user interface may include a class schedule with a summary of each exercise and the projected period of time of each exercise. The class schedule may be configured to show the current exercise, which may be updated in real-time as the fitness class progresses. The workout schedule in FIG. 33A may also provide controls to the instructor to pause/resume timers for each exercise, to skip particular exercises, or to go back and repeat particular exercises. FIG. 33C shows another exemplary class schedule with a magnified view of the aforementioned controls available to the instructor.

The instructor user interface may also include a summary of the users streaming the fitness class via their respective smart mirror 100. The summary may include each user's name, location, and current status based on one or more emojis. The instructor user interface may include filters to organize and display users according to various parameters including, but not limited to skill level, fitness goals (e.g., build muscle, de-stress, improve health, improve flexibility, improve definition, lose weight, tone up), current and/or past injuries (e.g., ankle, back, knee, neck, postnatal, prenatal, shoulder, wrist), the user's birthday, the duration of time since a user last worked out (e.g., past 7 days, past 30 days).

An instructor may also select individual users in the class to show additional information for each user as shown in FIG. 33B. Various user information may be displayed including, but not limited to the user's picture, the user's name, the user's location, current and past injuries, fitness goals, skill level, weight, birthday, frequency of user workouts, workouts with a trainer (e.g., specific to name or type of trainer), total number of workouts, and user ratings for the class.

Conclusion

All parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented primarily by way of example and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.

In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of respective elements of the exemplary implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The use of a numerical range does not preclude equivalents that fall outside the range that fulfill the same function, in the same way, to produce the same result.

The above-described embodiments can be implemented in multiple ways. For example, embodiments may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the software code can be executed on a suitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers.

Further, a computer may be embodied in any of a number of forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. Additionally, a computer may be embedded in a device not generally regarded as a computer but with suitable processing capabilities, including a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone or any other suitable portable or fixed electronic device.

Also, a computer may have one or more input and output devices. These devices can be used, among other things, to present a user interface. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interface include printers or display screens for visual presentation of output and speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentation of output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include keyboards, and pointing devices, such as mice, touch pads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a computer may receive input information through speech recognition or in other audible format.

Such computers may be interconnected by one or more networks in a suitable form, including a local area network or a wide area network, such as an enterprise network, an intelligent network (IN) or the Internet. Such networks may be based on a suitable technology, may operate according to a suitable protocol, and may include wireless networks, wired networks or fiber optic networks.

The various methods or processes outlined herein may be coded as software that is executable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and/or programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine. Some implementations may specifically employ one or more of a particular operating system or platform and a particular programming language and/or scripting tool to facilitate execution.

Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may in some instances be ordered in different ways. Accordingly, in some inventive implementations, respective acts of a given method may be performed in an order different than specifically illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously (even if such acts are shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments).

All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of” “only one of” or “exactly one of” “Consisting essentially of” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03. 

1. A method, comprising: wirelessly connecting, at a smart device of a user and via an application, the smart device to a smart mirror of the user, the application operating at the smart device and configured to access and control the smart mirror via a user interface displayed at the smart device; detecting, at the smart device and after the wireless connecting, a status of the smart mirror; and when the status of the smart mirror is inactive, and via a process executing on the smart device and separate from the application, displaying at the smart device and via a digital communication channel associated with the user, a message associated with the smart mirror.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital communication channel is included within a plurality of digital communication channels, the method further comprising: selecting, at the smart device, the digital communication channel from the plurality of digital communication channels and not remaining digital communication channels from the plurality of digital communication channels, the plurality of digital communication channels associated with least two from a text message, an email, a voicemail, or a social media post on a social network account of the user.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital communication channel is a first digital communication channel included within a plurality of digital communication channels, and the message is a first message, the method further comprising: selecting, at the smart device, the first digital communication channel from the plurality of digital communication channels and not remaining digital communication channels from the plurality of digital communication channels, the plurality of digital communication channels associated with at least two from a text message, an email, a voicemail, or a social media post on a social network account of the user; selecting a second digital communication channel from the plurality of digital communication channels and not remaining digital communication channels from the plurality of digital communication channels; and when the status of the smart mirror is inactive and via the process, displaying at the smart device and via the second digital communication channel, a second message associated with the smart mirror.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein: the displaying via the first digital communication channel includes automatically and repeatedly displaying, via the first digital communication channel, the first message at a first frequency, and the displaying the via the second digital communication channel includes automatically and repeatedly displaying, via the second digital communication channel, the second message at a second frequency different from the first frequency.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein: the digital communication channel is a first digital communication channel, the message is a first message, and the displaying the first message includes automatically displaying the first message without a delay, the method further comprising: when the status of the smart mirror is inactive and via the process, automatically displaying at the smart device and via a second digital communication channel associated with the user, a second message.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein: the user is a first user, and the digital communication channel is a first digital communication channel, the method further comprising receiving, at the smart device, information from (1) a compute device of an instructor or (2) a compute device of a second user, the displaying the first message including automatically displaying without a delay the first message based on the information, and when the status of the smart mirror is inactive, and via the process, automatically displaying, with a non-zero delay at the smart device and via a second digital communication channel associated with the user, a second message that is a reminder related to the smart mirror.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a first message that includes an interactive element and the application is a first application, the method further comprising: receiving, at the smart device, a user selection associated with the interactive element; and performing, in response to the user selection, at least one of: sending, from the smart device, a second message associated with the smart mirror; or opening, at the smart device, a second application associated with the smart device and separate from the process.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a first user, the method further comprising: receiving, from a smart mirror of a second user, data associated with the second user, the displaying including displaying the message in response to receiving the data associated with the second user.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a first user, and the message is a first message, the method further comprising: receiving, from a third-party compute device, a second message associated with a second user of a smart mirror, the displaying including displaying the first message in response to the second message.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a first user, and the message is a first message, the method further comprising: receiving, from a third-party compute device, a second message associated with a second user of a smart mirror; and sending, to the third-party compute device, a third message for the second user in response to receiving the second message, the displaying including displaying the first message in response to receiving the second message.
 11. A method, comprising: wirelessly connecting, at a smart device of a user and via an application, the smart device to a smart mirror of the user to establish a wireless connection therebetween, the application operating at the smart device and configured to access and control the smart mirror via a user interface displayed at the smart device; detecting, at the smart device of the user and via the wireless connection, a status of the smart mirror of the user; selecting, at the smart device, a first digital communication channel from a plurality of digital communication channels and not remaining digital communication channels from the plurality of digital communication channels, the plurality of digital communication channels associated with at least two from a text message, an email, a voicemail, or a social media post on a social network account of the user; selecting a second digital communication channel from the plurality of digital communication channels and not remaining digital communication channels from the plurality of digital communication channels; and when the status of the smart mirror is inactive, and via a background process: displaying, at the smart device and via the first digital communication channel, a first message associated with the smart mirror; and displaying, at the smart device and via the second digital communication channel, a second message associated with the smart mirror, the background process executing on the smart device without user intervention and independent of any remaining processes executing on the smart device.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein: the displaying via the first digital communication channel includes automatically and repeatedly displaying, via the first digital communication channel, the first message at a first frequency, the displaying the via the second digital communication channel includes automatically and repeatedly displaying, via the second digital communication channel, the second message at a second frequency different from the first frequency.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein: the displaying the first message includes automatically displaying the first message without a delay, and the displaying the second message includes automatically displaying the second message.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is a first user, the method further comprising receiving, at the smart device, information from (1) a compute device of an instructor or (2) a compute device of a second user, the displaying the first message including automatically displaying without a delay the first message based on the information, the displaying the second message including automatically displaying with a non-zero delay the second message that is a reminder related to the smart mirror.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes an interactive element, the method further comprising: receiving, at the smart device, a user selection associated with the interactive element; and performing, in response to the user selection, at least one of: sending, from the smart device, a third message associated with the smart mirror; or opening, at the smart device, an application associated with the smart device and separate from the background process.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is a first user, the method further comprising: receiving, from a smart mirror of a second user, data associated with the second user, the displaying the first message including automatically displaying the first message in response to receiving the data associated with the second user.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is a first user, the method further comprising: receiving, from a third-party compute device, a third message associated with a second user of a smart mirror, the displaying including automatically displaying the first message in response to the third message.
 18. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is a first user, the method further comprising: receiving, from a third-party compute device, a third message associated with a second user of a smart mirror; and automatically sending, to the third-party compute device, a fourth message for the second user in response to receiving the third message, the displaying including automatically displaying the first message in response to receiving the third message.
 19. An apparatus, comprising: a memory storing an application configured to access and control a smart mirror of a user via a user interface, the memory storing a background process configured to execute without user intervention and independent of any remaining processes that are executing while the background process is executing; and a processor configured to be coupled to the memory, the processor configured to wirelessly connect, via the application, to the smart mirror, the processor configured to detect, after wirelessly connecting to the smart mirror, a status of the smart mirror; and the processor configured to cause display, when the status of the smart mirror is inactive and via the background process, via a digital communication channel associated with the user, of a message associated with the smart mirror.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to cause display of the message via the digital communication channel and not via the user interface, the digital communication channel associated with at least one from a text message, an email, a voicemail, or a social media post on a social network account of the user.
 21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: the digital communication channel is a first digital communication channel included within a plurality of digital communication channels, and the message is a first message, the method further comprising: the processor configured to select the first digital communication channel from the plurality of digital communication channels and not remaining digital communication channels from the plurality of digital communication channels, the plurality of digital communication channels associated with at least two from a text message, an email, a voicemail, or a social media post on a social network account of the user; the processor configured to select a second digital communication channel from the plurality of digital communication channels and not remaining digital communication channels from the plurality of digital communication channels; and when the status of the smart mirror is inactive and via the background process, the processor configured to cause display via the second digital communication channel, of a second message associated with the smart mirror.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein: the processor is configured to automatically and repeatedly cause display, via the first digital communication channel, of the first message at a first frequency, and the processor is configured to automatically and repeatedly cause display, via the second digital communication channel, of the second message at a second frequency different from the first frequency.
 23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: the digital communication channel is a first digital communication channel, the message is a first message, the processor is configured to automatically cause display of the first message without a delay, the processor is configured to automatically cause display at the smart device and via a second digital communication channel associated with the user, of a second message when the status of the smart mirror is inactive and via the background process.
 24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: the user is a first user, and the digital communication channel is a first digital communication channel, the processor is configured to receive information from (1) a compute device of an instructor or (2) a compute device of a second user, the processor is configured to cause automatically display without a delay of the first message based on the information, and the processor is configured, via the background process and when the status of the smart mirror is inactive, to automatically cause display, with a non-zero delay and via a second digital communication channel associated with the user, of a second message that is a reminder related to the smart mirror.
 25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: the message is a first message that includes an interactive element and the application is a first application, the processor is configured receive a user selection associated with the interactive element; the processor is configured to perform, in response to the user selection, at least one of: sending a second message associated with the smart mirror; or opening a second application associated with the smart device and separate from the process.
 26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: the user is a first user, the processor configured to receive, from a smart mirror of a second user, data associated with the second user, the processor configured to cause display of the message in response to receiving the data associated with the second user.
 27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: the user is a first user, and the message is a first message, the processor configured to receive, from a third-party compute device, a second message associated with a second user of a smart mirror, the processor configured to cause display of the first message in response to the second message.
 28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: the user is a first user, and the message is a first message, the processor configured to receive, from a third-party compute device, a second message associated with a second user of a smart mirror, the processor configured to send, to the third-party compute device, a third message for the second user in response to receiving the second message, the processor configured to cause display of the first message in response to receiving the second message. 